Apple has launched an app for competitor Android’s smartphones, which will inform users if there is a tracking device nearby.
Apple’s AirTags are small location trackers that can be attacked to items such as keys or bags in case they are lost.
But they could also be used with malicious intent, such as being planted on people without their knowledge.
The new app allows Android users to detect nearby by trackers they do not own.
AirTags work by leveraging millions of Apple devices, each of which can detect nearby tags, to create a powerful tracking network.
“These small inexpensive tags can potentially make it very easy for a stalker to hide one in the victim’s car or personal possessions and then be able to track their victim’s whereabouts,” said Rachel Horman-Brown, who chairs anti-stalking advocacy service Paladin.
Two months after their release, amid concerns over abuse, Apple introduced a feature where iPhones would notify users if an “unknown AirTag” or other compatible third-party device was detected “moving with you over time”.
And the new Android Tracker Detect app attempts to give Android users some of the safety features Apple has built into its own devices.
The app “looks for item trackers within Bluetooth range that are separated from their owner”, Apple says in its support documentation.
“If you think someone is using an AirTag or another item tracker to track your location, you can scan to try to find it,” it said.
