New AirTags anti-stalking measures appear in iOS 15.4 beta

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The new features in the latest version of the software prevent Apple's AirTags from being used to stalker people. There is a new privacy notice that warns that using AirTags to track someone without their consent could be a crime, and that law enforcement can request details on an unknown AirTags owner.

Apple announced a collection of new safety features for its AirTags earlier this month, after a number of news reports found they had been used to track individuals without their consent. Apple didn't give an exact release date for the new safety features, only that they would arrive later this year.

Image: Apple

According to 9to5Mac, the new privacy notice makes it possible to specify when an unidentified pair of AirPods is found traveling with you. The more general notification caused confusion for some users. The Find My app has new tracking notification settings and the option to preemptively disabling safety alert has been removed.

Other anti-stalking AirTag features announced by Apple earlier this month include alerting users sooner when an unknown AirTag is detected in their presence, and allowing them to use the precise ultrawideband tracking in newer iPhones to find an AirTag that isn't their own. Apple said that notifications will be more noticeable if they are sync with the alert noise made by AirTag.

The new anti-stalking features in the fourth version of the software are less gendered than the voice assistant's existing options. Face ID support while wearing masks, and Apple's new Universal Control feature are other new features. An exact release date for the software is not yet known, but it is expected to be next month.