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Comment by bluetidepro | Hacker News Reader

> The problem is that the AirTag is registered to my partner’s device. That means that Apple doesn’t recognize my iPhone in connection with the AirTag, seeing the unknown tracker as a threat to my safety.

> The notification provides an option to disable the AirTag, which would be helpful to stop an unwanted third-party from knowing your location. That feature renders the AirTag useless, though, so it would no longer be able to track my dog if she did get out.

I'm confused. That doesn't make it useless? If you disable the notification on HIS phone, his partner would still get notifications on HER phone as it's link to her account? I'm confused what he means. And if it's not even linked to his account to begin with, how is he even able to track it besides the stalking notification? Something doesn't add up to me.

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The disable isn't a disable of notifications. It disables the airtag from reporting its status as an anti-stalking measure. So it wouldn't work for anyone.

> The disable isn't a disable of notifications. It disables the airtag from reporting its status as an anti-stalking measure. So it wouldn't work for anyone.

OHHHH okay, that makes more sense. That was the part of the puzzle that was confusing me. Thanks!

If you’re in the same icloud family, this isn’t a problem: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34897040

So I can walk around and disable every airtag in sight? Some important information must be missing here...

It requires the iPhone to go "home" or "work" or any regular repeated location with the airtag following for some period of time.

That's why the dog airtag in the article continues to go off, when they take the dog on a walk, it follows the same path, then ends up back at the shared house. Their case would be solved by using an iCloud family plan, but they don't want to.

iCloud family plan doesn't actually fix this anyway. There is no way to 'share' an AirTag with people in your iCloud family.

So does this mean person A could reverse stalk person B (who has their airtagged Macbook on them, for instance). Use the disable function to disable the airtag on person B's Macbook once IOS pops up a potential stalking notification. And then freely steal the Macbook?

What's the distance and time required to get a stalking notification? I presume close enough that it would be hard to do on the street, but potentially of use in a place like a cafe or an airport screening line?

> So does this mean person A could reverse stalk person B (who has their airtagged Macbook on them, for instance). Use the disable function to disable the airtag on person B's Macbook once IOS pops up a potential stalking notification. And then freely steal the Macbook?

If you've stolen the macbook, you can just... check the bag for airtags and throw them away?

I suppose disabling it first prevents them from potentially tracking the thief for those first 100m to the nearest trash box, but it also has a good chance to alert them.

That feature disables the airtag. The airtag then no longer functions as an airtag.

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