Amber Neely
The Boston Police were able to recover a man's stolen bicycle by tracking down an AirTag that the owner had cleverly stowed inside the bike's bag.
On the night of July 4, Gene Gorter's bike was stolen from outside his home in Boston. The following day, he contacted the Boston Police department to report the theft. He also provided the officers with his AirTag information.
The AirTag was stowed inside a pouch that was attached to his bicycle. Placed within the pouch instead of on show on the bike's frame, the hope was that a thief would miss the AirTag and so police might be able to track it.
And, according to GadgetLite that's exactly what happened — police were able to locate the bicycle, the bag, and the AirTag by using an iPhone. The bike was recovered near a trashcan, which contained both the bag and the AirTag.
Police assume that the thief did not find anything useful in the bag, so they simply ditched it. Fortunately, this meant they also didn't discover the AirTag.
While it certainly worked out well for Gorter, it's important to remember that Apple does not recommend using AirTag as an anti-theft device, nor does it recommend using it to keep track of children or pets.
AirTag was announced at Apple's "Spring Loaded" event in April of 2021. It is available to purchase for $29, or can be bought in a four-pack for $99.
The small, circular trackers are designed to be clipped to commonly misplaced objects, such as luggage, keys, backpacks, and more. AppleInsider praised it for its ease of use and thoughtful privacy features, rating it a 4.5 out of 5.
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Christine McKee
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11 Comments
Although this may not be what Apple recommends, this is the way most people WANT to use their AirTag trackers - to track pets, prevent theft, and to aid in the recovery of stolen items.
At least he contacted the police to do the tracking. Some would try to do it themselves and could find themselves in imminent physical danger. Maybe that’s why Apple doesn’t recommend this.
What information did he give the police? His user ID and password?