Unknown AirTag Alert: What to Do If One Is Tracking You

An alert that an AirTag is travelling with you can be alarming, and it has innocent explanations too. This guide covers how to check and what to do next.

By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 20, 2026

AirTags are small tracking tags meant to find lost items. They can also be slipped into a bag or car, which is why phones warn you when an unknown one travels with you. This guide follows Engadget’s explanation, which is based on Apple’s guidance.

Why you might get an alert

An alert can mean someone is tracking you, but it can also come from a friend’s tag in a shared bag, a family member’s item in your car or a borrowed item. Take it seriously and check calmly.

Make sure alerts are on (iPhone)

Alerts are on by default, and iOS 17.5 or later is recommended. Confirm that Bluetooth, Location Services and tracking notifications are on, and that Airplane Mode is off. Keeping Significant Locations on also helps your phone work out which tags travel with you. An alert reads something like “AirTag Found Moving With You.”

Android users

Phones with Android 6.0 or later can receive unknown tracker alerts, and Apple’s Tracker Detect app on Google Play lets you scan manually. It can detect a tag that has been separated from its owner for at least 10 minutes and can play a sound on it.

How to find the tag

How to identify it

Hold the top of an NFC-capable phone to the white side of the tag. It shows a webpage with the tag’s serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number. Take photos before you do anything else.

How to disable it

The tag’s screen has Instructions to Disable, which usually mean removing the battery. Turning off your own Bluetooth or Location Services does not stop the tag. It only stops your phone from warning you.

If you feel unsafe

Go somewhere public and contact the police. If you think the tag is being used maliciously, keep it and record the details, such as photos and the serial number, before contacting the police.

What to do in the first minutes

Do not panic, and do not confront anyone. Move to a place where there are other people, such as a shop or a station, then work through the alert. If you think someone has followed you, call the police first and investigate after.

Keep a record

Photograph the tag, its serial number and where you found it. Note the date, the time and the places you had been before the alert. Take screenshots of the notification. These records are useful if you contact the police or need to explain the situation later.

Checking a car

Trackers can be hidden in a vehicle, for example under a seat, in a door pocket, inside a bumper or in the boot. Search methodically and use a torch. If you cannot find the tag but keep getting alerts, ask a trusted person or a garage to help you look.

Other ways phones and cars can be tracked

AirTags are one route among several. See how to tell if your phone is being tracked and how to tell if your phone is tapped or monitored. If an ex-partner is involved, read digital privacy after a divorce or separation.