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Use Android’s built-in Unknown tracker alerts feature to check for compatible tags near you and to investigate an alert that says a tracker may be traveling with you. On Android 6 and later, the feature supports Find Hub network-compatible tags, compatible headphones and Apple AirTags. A manual scan is a roughly 10-second, point-in-time check; an automatic alert is a separate judgment based on movement with a tracker over time. Start in Google’s Android Help instructions, then use the workflow below to scan, locate, document and safely handle a device.
What Android can—and cannot—tell you
Android’s protection has two related functions. Scan now looks for compatible Bluetooth trackers that are nearby and separated from their owner’s device at the moment you run it. An unknown-tracker alert is generated automatically when Android’s system determines that a compatible tracker may be moving with you. The alert decision uses several factors, including physical movement with the tracker over time; it is not simply a list of every tag within radio range. The distinction is documented in Android Help.
A positive manual result does not prove that someone followed you. A tag could be misplaced or temporarily separated from its owner. Conversely, a scan that finds nothing does not establish that no tracker is present: the tag may be incompatible, still with its owner, outside Bluetooth range or not detectable at that moment. Treat these tools as detection and response aids, not as a guarantee of a tracker-free environment.
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Compatibility baseline
- Unknown tracker alerts are available on Android 6 and later.
- The current Android guide identifies Find Hub network-compatible trackers, compatible headphones and Apple AirTags as supported categories. Compatibility is not universal across every tracker model.
- Menu labels can differ by phone manufacturer, even when the underlying Android version is the same.
Location and Bluetooth requirements
Automated unknown-tracker alerts require your phone’s Location setting to be enabled. On Android 11 and later, a manual scan does not require Location to be on. On Android 10 and earlier, manual scanning uses both Location and Bluetooth. Bluetooth should therefore be enabled when you want the broadest chance of detecting a nearby compatible device.
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These settings affect your phone’s ability to perform the check; they do not switch off a tracker that belongs to someone else. Turning off Bluetooth or Location, or enabling Airplane Mode, does not stop the tracker from sharing its location with its owner.
Run a manual scan for nearby trackers
Android 12 and later
- Open Settings.
- Tap Safety & emergency.
- Choose Unknown tracker alerts.
- Tap Scan now.
- Wait for the scan to finish. Google says the check takes about 10 seconds.
Android 11 and earlier
- Open Settings.
- Go to Google, then Personal & device safety.
- Open Unknown tracker alerts and start the scan.
If those labels are absent, use Settings search for “unknown tracker” or check the safety section supplied by your phone maker. A missing menu can indicate an older Android release, a manufacturer-specific location for the control or a device that does not support the feature.
How to make a scan more useful
- Run the check in places where you spend time, such as your home, workplace, vehicle or bag-storage area, rather than assuming one scan covers every location.
- Move slowly through the area and repeat the scan if the first check is clear but your concern remains. Google says multiple manual scans can improve nearby-tracker detection.
- Keep the phone’s Bluetooth radio available while scanning. On Android 11 and later, Location can remain off for a manual scan, but it must be on for automatic alerts.
Understand a manual result before acting
If Android finds a tracker
Read the result as “a compatible tracker is nearby and currently separated from its owner’s device.” It does not establish that the tracker traveled with you, identify the owner or show where the owner looked at the tracker. A misplaced tag, a borrowed bag or a temporarily separated device can produce the same result.
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Use the result as a reason to inspect the immediate area and your belongings safely. If you are in a shared building, parking area or public place, note where and when the scan found it. If you later receive an automated alert, that alert carries a different meaning because Android has detected movement with the tracker over time.
If Android finds nothing
A clean scan is only a snapshot. The tracker may be with its owner, beyond Bluetooth range, incompatible with Android’s detection system or temporarily advertising a different identifier. Repeat the scan after moving through the locations shown in your routine, and keep Unknown tracker alerts enabled if you want the automated system to continue monitoring.
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Manual scan versus automatic unknown-tracker alert
| Aspect | Manual scan | Automatic alert |
|---|---|---|
| How it starts | You open Settings and tap Scan now. | Android displays a notification when its system judges that a compatible tracker may be moving with you. |
| Time perspective | Nearby devices at one point in time; Google says the check takes about 10 seconds. | Movement with the tracker over time, combined with other signals. |
| Location setting | Not required on Android 11 and later; Android 10 and lower use Location and Bluetooth. | Location must be enabled. |
| What a result means | A compatible tracker is nearby and separated from its owner at that moment. | Android has detected a pattern it considers consistent with an unknown tracker traveling with you. |
| How often you can use it | Run another scan whenever you need a fresh point-in-time check. | Android currently sends only one alert per tracker each day. |
| Main limitation | It cannot prove that a tracker followed you, and it cannot detect every tracker. | The system may wait for enough movement evidence, so an alert can be delayed. |
Respond to an unknown-tracker alert
1. Open the notification and study the map
Tap the alert to see the map of locations where Android detected the tracker traveling with you. The map describes the tracker’s detected movement with your phone; it does not reveal where the owner checked the tracker’s location. Note the route and times before leaving the screen, especially if you may need to explain the situation to another person.
2. Play the tracker’s sound
Tap Play sound and listen while moving through the area. Google says the owner is not notified when you play the sound. If nothing happens, move around and try again. Sound can fail when the tracker is out of Bluetooth range, is no longer with you or has changed its rotating device ID.
3. Use Find nearby when it appears
For Find Hub network-compatible trackers, open Next steps and choose Find nearby when offered. The phone can connect over Bluetooth and guide you toward the device. This option is not presented for every supported tracker category.
4. Retrace the route and scan again
If you cannot hear or see the tracker, retrace the route shown on the map and check belongings such as a bag or vehicle only when doing so is safe. Run another manual scan. If Android continues to detect the tracker with you the next day, Google says another alert may arrive; the current system limits alerts to one per tracker per day.
If you locate the device: identify and document it
Save evidence before changing anything
- Take screenshots of the notification, map, tracker name and timestamps.
- Record where you found the device and photograph its position if doing so will not put you at risk.
- Keep the physical tracker in place until you have considered whether law enforcement, a workplace security team or another trusted authority may need to examine it.
Use Android’s identification steps
Open Next steps in the alert. For an AirTag, hold the tag near the back of the phone to display available information. Other supported trackers use the on-screen identification instructions. Depending on the device, Android may show a serial number or owner details. Find Hub-compatible devices may reveal a device identifier and a hidden owner email after the identification steps.
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Do not assume that an owner detail proves who placed the tracker or why it is there. Treat the displayed information as an identifier to preserve and share with an appropriate authority, not as an invitation to confront someone.
Decide whether and how to disable a tracker
Put immediate safety first
If you feel threatened, leave for a populated public place and contact local law enforcement or a trusted person. The official Android guidance also points readers in the United States to the Safety Net Project, in the United Kingdom to Refuge UK and in Australia to WESNET Safety Net Australia. Availability and eligibility for these services depend on your location.
Understand the evidence trade-off
Disabling a tracker stops future location updates, but its owner may still see the last location recorded while it was active. Disabling instructions vary by manufacturer. Some devices may be factory-reset during the process, removing information that law enforcement could use. If you can remain safe, preserve screenshots and identifiers and ask local authorities or a trusted advocate whether to disable it before doing so.
Use the correct device-specific procedure
Follow the instructions shown under Next steps or the tracker manufacturer’s documented procedure. Do not expect a phone setting to disable the tag: turning off Bluetooth or Location, or switching on Airplane Mode, affects the phone and does not prevent the tracker itself from communicating.
For certain Find Hub-compatible trackers, Google offers a temporary pause of location updates from the phone for up to 24 hours. That pause applies only to that category and is not the same as switching off or removing the tracker.
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Manage alert history and privacy
View previous alerts
On Android 12 and later, open Settings > Safety & emergency > Unknown tracker alerts, then tap the tracker-alerts button. On Android 11 and lower, use the alerts control under Google > Personal & device safety. Google says alert history is deleted after 48 hours, so save screenshots or notes before that period expires if you may need them.
Turning alerts off is destructive
Android 12 and later label the control Allow alerts; Android 11 and lower use an alerts toggle in the Google safety settings. Turning Unknown tracker alerts off clears previous alerts and tracker information, and Google says that data cannot be recovered. Keep the feature enabled if you still want automatic monitoring.
What information stays on the phone
For alert decisions, Android uses location information, detection timestamps and the tracker device ID. Google says this information is temporarily processed and stored in encrypted form on the phone, does not leave the device and is not shared with Google or other users. This describes the alert-detection data flow; it does not mean the tracker itself cannot communicate with its owner.
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“I got no alert, but I think a tracker is nearby.”
Run a manual scan. An automated alert may not appear immediately because Android considers multiple factors and looks for movement with the tracker over time. A tag that remains with its owner may not meet the conditions for an unknown-tracker alert. Also check that Location is enabled, because automated alerts require it.
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“The manual scan did not find anything.”
Repeat the scan after moving through the places shown in your routine. The device may be out of range, with its owner, incompatible or temporarily using an identifier Android does not associate with the earlier result. A clear scan is not proof that no tracker exists.
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“Play sound does nothing.”
Move closer and try again. The tracker may no longer be present, may be outside Bluetooth range or may have rotated to a different random device ID. Google says tracker IDs change regularly and may change less often—such as once per day—when a tracker is away from its owner. A changed ID can make the same physical tracker appear as a new device in a later scan or alert.
“I received more than one detection.”
Android can show a changed identifier as a new tracker, especially when the tag has been away from its owner. The system currently sends only one automated alert per tracker each day, so repeated detections do not necessarily produce repeated notifications on the same day.
“I cannot find the tracker and I feel unsafe.”
Do not search alone in an isolated place. Go to a public location, contact law enforcement or a trusted person, preserve the map and screenshots, and explain the route Android displayed. Avoid confronting a suspected owner.
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A practical checklist
- Confirm your Android version and open Unknown tracker alerts.
- Enable Location if you want automatic alerts; keep Bluetooth available for detection and sound playback.
- Run Scan now, wait about 10 seconds and repeat in relevant locations if needed.
- Interpret a manual result as “nearby now,” not proof of following.
- For an alert, review the map, play the sound and use Find nearby when available.
- Save screenshots, timestamps, identifiers and photographs before disabling anything.
- Use manufacturer-specific disabling instructions, weighing immediate safety against lost evidence.
- Remember that phone Bluetooth, Location and Airplane Mode settings do not disable the tracker.
- Check alert history before 48 hours have passed if you need a record.
Bottom line
Use manual scans to check what is nearby now and automatic alerts to identify a compatible tracker that appears to be moving with you. Neither result covers every tracker or proves intent. When an alert appears, investigate from a safe place, preserve identifying information, involve a trusted person or authorities when appropriate, and disable the device only with the safety and evidence consequences in mind.
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