Since the release of AirTags in 2021, there have been countless stories of the tiny white hockey pucks saving lost luggage, finding lost dogs, and even foiling truck theft. Now it looks like a couple in the Netherlands must’ve seen all the success stories of AirTags because they’re the next viral story to showcase why most people should own at least one.
Utrecht — one of the largest cities in the Netherlands, filled with picturesque canals and beautiful greenery. Perfect for a Bike ride. Unfortunately, one bike ride for a resident turned into a nightmare while taking a trip to the gym. When Beatriz Spaltemberg left the gym after working out, she found her bike missing, stolen in the space of an hour.
Luckily, she had placed an AirTag on her bike due to rising bike theft in the city which meant that she could see the bike cycling away from her location in real-time using the Find My app. Spaltemberg then phoned the police and, accompanied by two officers and her husband, headed cautiously to the stolen bike’s location.
When they arrived, the bike had been locked to a lamppost, and the thief was nowhere in sight. Police in Utrecht are now collecting footage to find the culprit.
Spaltemberg’s husband, William Lacerda, told 9to5Mac, “It all happened in about an hour and a half. The police officer told me that we were very lucky to have an AirTag [on the bike] because bike thefts are common here, and usually, they only make a police report for such situations,” He also emphasized that the AirTag was “very well hidden.”
AirTags — For better or worse
After going on holiday earlier this year and losing my luggage, I’ve become a cheerleader for AirTags, especially considering how well the Precision Tracking works in the Find My app. There’s a whole host of positive use cases for Apple’s tracking devices, yet some have been found to use the white pucks for malice.
Stalking with AirTags has become a frequent enough issue for Apple and Google to partner up to combat the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices. Apple continues to update AirTags with new security features that help detect when an unwanted AirTag is following you, and there has even been an update to Android that will detect them as well.
While it’s always advised to remain cautious, AirTags have proven to be far more positive than negative since release, becoming one of those products that you don’t know you need until it’s usually too late.
