Q: What do I do when my iPhone gives me the notification 鈥淯nknown Accessory Detected Near You鈥� and it looks like something is following me around?
A: This message is most likely being generated by the 鈥淔ind My鈥� app, which was initially designed to help users locate devices that they may have lost or misplaced. It has since evolved into a warning system for unauthorized or unknown devices as well.
The introduction of Apple鈥檚 AirTag, a small tracking device that can be attached to a keychain or backpack, caused a lot of concern from privacy advocates for its stalking and tracking potential.
To help assure users that they could detect devices that aren鈥檛 necessarily associated with their phones, Apple expanded the 鈥淔ind My鈥� network capabilities to include notifications of unknown items near you.
AirTag notifications
The alert system is designed to notify you about an AirTag near you but separated from its owner, and will specifically use AirTag in the notification.
To ensure that your iPhone or iPad can alert you to any unwanted tracking devices, you鈥檒l need to make sure you are running iOS 14.5 or later and make sure the following settings are in place:
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- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and turn Location Services on.
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn Find My iPhone on.
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn Significant Locations on to be notified when you arrive at a significant location, such as your home.
- Go to the Find My app, tap the Me tab, and turn Item Safety Alerts on.
- Make sure Bluetooth is turned on in order to detect items.
Also, an AirTag that has been separated from its owner for a period of time (8 to 24 hours) is designed to start emitting a sound to help locate it.
Unknown Accessory notifications
This more generic notification isn鈥檛 likely an AirTag and can be caused by any number of popular accessories, such as most newer AirPod models and, since Apple opened up the network to non-Apple devices in April 2021, a number of other products.
Most newer Beats wireless audio products also work on the 鈥淔ind My鈥� network (Apple owns Beats), but other earbuds from companies such as Belkin can also generate the 鈥淯nknown Accessory Detected Near You鈥� notification.
Trackers from a company called Chipolo as well as e-bikes from VanMoof and soon-to-be-available backpacks from Targus can all be detected on the 鈥淔ind My鈥� network.
Why is it following me?
If the 鈥淔ind My鈥� notification shows that the unknown device seems to be moving with you, it鈥檚 most likely because someone you are traveling with has one of the items 鈥� probably earbuds of some sort 鈥� that was detected. The 鈥淔irst Seen With You鈥� timestamp may be helpful in determining who might have the device that鈥檚 being detected.
Depending upon the device, you may be able to tap the 鈥淟earn About This Item鈥� to figure out what it may be, or tap on 鈥淚nstructions to Disable Item鈥� to keep the item from tracking your location.
If it turns out to be something that isn鈥檛 a cause for concern, you can pause the safety alerts to stop the notifications.
Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of . Ask any tech question on or .
