Bluetooth trackers are handy for finding the items you lose regularly, such as your remote, keys, wallet, and so on. Small business owners have even been known to use them to find and reacquire high-value items that have been stolen. Convenient as Bluetooth trackers may be, they can also be used to stalk people.
Fortunately, your Android phone can tell you when there is a Bluetooth tracker unassociated with your device in your immediate vicinity. Here’s how to set that up and keep yourself safe.
How Does Unknown Tracker Alerts Work?
With Unknown Tracker Alerts activated, your Android device (running Android 6.0+) will notify you if an unknown Bluetooth tracker (i.e., one that isn’t registered to you) is traveling with you. Tap the notification, and you’ll see a map showing where the Bluetooth tracker was first recorded as traveling with you. That’s useful, as it can help you to determine, how, who, or why you have a Bluetooth tracker on you in the first place.
You can then tapPlay Sound, and your Android phone will essentially ping the tracker and force it to make a noise to help you find it. The registered owner of the Bluetooth tracker won’t be alerted that you’re trying to find it, either.
It’s important to note that as of October 2023, Unknown Tracker Alerts only detects Apple AirTag Bluetooth trackers. Google has mentioned that it plans to add support for other Bluetooth trackers, though there isn’t a tentative date as of this writing.
If you find an unknown Apple AirTag, Apple has anAirTag support pagethat instructs you on disabling it.
How to Activate Unknown Tracker Alerts on Android
If you already knowhow Bluetooth trackers work, you also understand the double-edged sword that they represent.Bluetooth trackers make it uncomfortably easy for someone to stalk you, either by hiding a tracker under a vehicle, in a coat pocket, purse, or luggage, and so on. That’s why it’s essential to ensure your Android phone can alert you when an unknown tracker is in your presence.
To set that up on a Pixel phone, go toSettings > Safety & Emergency > Unknown tracker alerts > Allow alerts. Unknown Tracker Alerts will periodically scan your vicinity for unknown trackers.
How to Manually Scan for Bluetooth Trackers
If you suspect that you’re currently getting tracked by a Bluetooth tracker, the Unknown Tracker Alerts page gives you the option to manually scan. It’s a thoughtful feature, as it immediately brings peace of mind.
To do it, go back to the Unknown Tracker Alerts page, but this time, tapScan nowunderManual scan. You’ll be alerted if an unknown tracker was found, or if you’re in the clear.
Getting Notified of Bluetooth Trackers Can Save Your Life
Few things in life are more frightening than discovering you’re being tracked. And in far too many cases, victims never figure out they’re being tracked until it’s too late. Avoid becoming a victim in just a few taps by activating Unknown Tracker Alerts on your Android phone, then share the advice with the other Android owners in your life.
