What should I do if an AirTag or tracker is following me?

Coin-sized Bluetooth trackers like Apple's AirTag, Samsung's SmartTag, and Tile are made to find your keys or bag. But one can also be slipped into a coat, a handbag, or a car to follow a person. The reassuring part: modern phones now warn you about a stranger's tracker moving with you, a free app can scan for them, and there are clear steps to take - the most important of which is to look after your safety first.

How you might be warned

Thanks to a shared standard between Apple and Google, both iPhone and Android now alert you to an unknown Bluetooth tracker travelling with you, whatever brand it is.

iPhone warns you automatically when an unknown AirTag or Find My accessory has been moving with you over time - a message like "Found Moving With You". You can also scan manually in the Find My app.
Android gives unknown-tracker alerts for AirTags and trackers on Google's Find My Device network, with a manual scan in settings.
For thorough, cross-brand scanning, the free, open-source AirGuard app runs in the background and detects AirTags, Find My accessories, Samsung SmartTags, and Tiles. Apple also offers a Tracker Detect app for Android that scans for AirTags.

Keep Bluetooth switched on and your phone updated, or these alerts cannot work.

If you get an alert or find a tracker

Take it seriously, but try not to panic.
Make it reveal itself. Your phone can help you locate a nearby tracker, and you can make an AirTag play a sound.
Once you have found an AirTag, hold it to the top of your phone (its NFC reader) to see information about it, including part of its serial number - useful if you report it.

Before you disable it, think about your safety

This is the part that matters most. If you think the person tracking you might be dangerous - an ex-partner, for example - this can be stalking or part of domestic abuse, and removing the tracker tells them you have found it, which can make things worse.

If you feel at risk, look after your safety first: get somewhere safe, and contact the police. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Consider leaving the tracker where it is until you have advice, so you do not tip the person off or lose evidence.
A domestic-abuse helpline can help you make a safety plan - this is exactly the kind of thing they help with, and the call is confidential.

Disabling a tracker

When you are sure it is safe to do so:

AirTag: press down on the polished metal back and twist it anticlockwise, then lift it off and remove the coin battery.
Other trackers remove their battery in a similar way, or follow the maker's instructions.
If you may report it, keep the tracker and a note of the alerts as evidence rather than destroying it.

If you only do one thing

Do not ignore a "moving with you" alert. Find the tracker - but if there is any chance the person behind it could be dangerous, get to safety and contact the police before you remove it. Your safety matters far more than the device.