Apple's new AirTag anti-stalking features are in the latest iOS 15.4 beta

AirTag anti-stalking features

In response to reports of AirTag misuse, Apple earlier in February announced a slate of changes and updates aimed at bolstering the accessory's anti-stalking features. At the time, Apple said the features would arrive in a future software update.

On Tuesday, Apple released the fourth beta version of the upcoming iOS 15.4 update. According to early reports, some of the promised changes have surfaced in the latest beta.

For example, Apple has added new messaging to the AirTag setup screen advising users that "using [AirTag] to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world." It also notes that AirTag is designed to be detectable by victims and to enable law enforcement to identify their owners.

In addition, MacRumors has confirmed that Apple has made other AirTag changes in the new beta build, including addressing a bug that may have confused users. Specifically, the issue was an "Unknown Accessory Alert" that was only able to be triggered by various AirPods or Find My accessories — not AirTags.

Apple has made other minor changes, including removing the ability to disable Item Safety Alerts. Instead, Apple has added the options to customize tracking notifications and Find My network notifications.

The anti-stalking mechanisms, which will likely debut in iOS 15.4, are only part of a broader slate of solutions for AirTag misuse. Later in 2022, Apple says it will release other features like Precision Finding for unknown AirTags and more noticeable AirTag beeping.