Tech giants Apple and Google have joined forces to combat unwanted tracking via Bluetooth devices. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of an industry-standard called “Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers.” This standard will let both iPhones and Android phones (version 6.0 and later) identify unknown tracking devices in their vicinity.
The new system has an additional layer of security by alerting users if an unidentified Bluetooth tracker has been moving with them for a certain period. This notification will appear regardless of the phone’s brand, which is a big step forward regarding two major OSes since the RCS implementation was announced by Apple, which is coming this fall.
For iPhone users, the alert will have further options. They can view the tracker’s unique ID, trigger an audible sound from the device to help locate it, and access instructions on disabling it completely. Android hasn’t revealed such functionality yet.
This initiative has garnered support from various Bluetooth tag manufacturers, including Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee. Their commitment reveals that the future iterations of their products will be compatible with the new standard.
With this new cross-platform collaboration, the first of its kind, we are glad that these two tech giants came together to think about user safety. Apple says that AirTags and other Find My network accessories were designed from the outset with robust safety features. All this comes after it was announced last month that new Find My Device feature is now rolling out to Android devices worldwide.
Looking ahead, Apple and Google plan to continue working with the Internet Engineering Task Force for the betterment of the standard and to establish an official protocol for this technology.
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