Android now offers more tools to thwart Bluetooth tracker stalking

Google is rolling out Android updates that make it harder to spy on you with a Bluetooth tracker that supports the Find My Device network.

To start, you can pause your phone’s location updates for up to 24 hours. This lets you quickly prevent misuse of your whereabouts while you try to find and disable the unfamiliar tracker, Google says.

If you receive an alert about an unknown Bluetooth tracker moving with you, the “Find Nearby” option helps you locate the offending device. You might discover that someone slipped a tag into your backpack or underneath your car, for instance.

This only applies to tags that support Find My Device. As many modern trackers are compatible, though, this reduces the chances that someone can abuse off-the-shelf hardware to watch your movements without your consent.

Privacy issues surrounding Bluetooth trackers flared soon after Apple released the AirTag in 2021. While Apple did include some anti-stalking measures at launch, there was nothing to warn Android users. It was also relatively easy to remove the speaker and prevent it from warning victims. The audio alert initially took three days, creating a window of opportunity even for those stalkers who didn’t tamper with the hardware.

Apple released an Android app later that year, but it had to run in the foreground to spot AirTags. There also weren’t safeguards against unwanted Android-oriented tags. Apple and Google eventually addressed this in 2023, when they started collaborating on a common standard for detecting rogue Bluetooth tracker units. Android’s Unknown Tracker Alerts appeared in July that year.

These latest Android updates could be particularly important, however. Trackers have many positive uses, such as finding lost luggage. Still, a sufficiently determined person can use them to stalk ex-partners, follow cars home to steal them later, or otherwise use the inconspicuous gadgets to jeopardize your safety. Now, you’ll have a simple emergency cutoff as well as a better chance of finding the tracker in question.

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