TrackerSonar

How to find a hidden AirTag or Bluetooth tracker

Your phone says a tracker is with you, or a scan shows an unknown tag — now you need to find the physical device. Here is how to do it in your car, bag or clothes.

By Metko Labs, publisher of TrackerSonar · Last updated · How we check our guides

Key takeaways

  • Start with sound: tap Play Sound in the iPhone or Android alert, or use Play sound in TrackerSonar on supported tags.
  • Then follow the Bluetooth signal: stronger means closer. Move slowly, because trackers may only send a signal every couple of seconds.
  • Trackers are small: an AirTag is a disc roughly 3 cm across; others are small squares, stickers or credit-card-sized cards.
  • Search systematically with a flashlight: bag linings and pockets, coat linings, car seats, the boot, wheel arches and bumpers.
  • Photograph it where you find it before you move or disable it — it may be evidence.

If you feel you are in danger: go to a safe, public place and contact local emergency services (for example 911 in the US, 112 in the EU, 999 in the UK or 000 in Australia). Think before you disable or throw away a tracker: it can be evidence, and once it is disabled its owner stops getting location updates, which they may notice.

Before you start

Searching is safe for most people, but if you suspect a partner, ex-partner or someone close to you, think about what happens if they notice that the tracker has been found or has stopped working. Google’s own guidance notes that, depending on your situation, you may prefer to keep a tracker switched on if turning it off could be unsafe. A domestic-violence advocate or the police can help you plan.

Know what you are looking for. An AirTag is a small round disc roughly 3 cm across (about the size of a large coin) with a white front and a polished metal back. Tile, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, Chipolo and Pebblebee trackers come as small squares, rounded tags with a keyring hole, stickers or thin cards the size of a credit card. Read how each brand can be detected.

Method 1: make the tracker play a sound

The fastest way to find a tracker is to make it beep and follow the sound.

  • iPhone: tap the “Found Moving With You” alert, tap Continue, then Play Sound. You can repeat it.
  • Android: tap the unknown tracker notification, then Play sound. Google says this does not notify the owner.
  • TrackerSonar (Premium): open the device from your scan results and tap Play sound. It works on AirTags and on tags that support the Apple–Google unwanted-tracking specification; the button only appears for devices that support it.

If no sound plays, the tracker may be near its owner, out of range, may have changed its Bluetooth identifier, or may not support the request. Some trackers have also been modified to be silent. Move on to the signal.

Method 2: follow the Bluetooth signal

Every tracker broadcasts a Bluetooth signal. The closer you are, the stronger it gets, so you can play “warmer or colder” until you are within reach.

  • Precision Finding (iPhone, AirTag only): on iPhones with Ultra Wideband, tap Find Nearby in the alert to see the distance and direction to an unknown AirTag.
  • Find nearby (Android, Find Hub trackers): from the notification, tap Next steps › Find nearby; a shape fills as you get closer.
  • Live Locate in TrackerSonar (Premium): works for any device your scan found — AirTag, Tile, SmartTag, Chipolo and others. It shows Warmer, Colder or Steady, a gauge with your best signal so far, and haptic ticks that speed up as you get closer. Its Find direction sweep helps you choose which way to go: hold the phone in front of your chest and turn slowly; your body blocks the signal from behind, so the strongest heading points toward the tag.

Tips for reading the signal: move slowly and pause for a few seconds at each spot — a separated AirTag may only send a signal every couple of seconds. Hold the phone the same way all the time. Walls, car bodies, bags and your own body weaken the signal, so a sudden drop can simply mean something is in the way.

Narrow it down to one item or area

If the signal is strong but you can’t see anything, move suspected items one at a time. Carry a bag or coat to another room and check whether the signal goes with it. In a car, compare the signal at the front seats, back seats, the boot and next to each wheel.

Where trackers are hidden: a checklist

In a car

  • Under and between the seats, along the seat rails, and in seat-back and door pockets
  • Glove box, centre console, sun visors and cup holders
  • Under floor mats and in the boot, including the spare-wheel well and side compartments
  • Outside: wheel arches, behind bumpers, under the car and behind the number plate — often in a small magnetic or waterproof case. Use a flashlight; a mechanic can help with places you can’t reach.

In a bag, backpack or purse

  • Inner and outer pockets, zip compartments and the base panel
  • The lining and seams — feel for a hard, coin-shaped lump
  • Small items inside: wallets, make-up bags, glasses cases, pencil cases

In clothes and other belongings

  • Coat and jacket pockets, hoods and linings
  • Wallets and phone cases (card-shaped trackers are thin)
  • Gifts, children’s bags and toys, bikes, strollers and wheelchairs

Step by step

  1. Make the tracker play a sound. Use the alert on your iPhone or Android phone, or Play sound in TrackerSonar Premium on supported tags. Stay quiet and listen.
  2. Follow the Bluetooth signal. Use Precision Finding, Find nearby or TrackerSonar’s Live Locate, moving slowly.
  3. Narrow it down. Move suspected items away and see whether the signal follows them; in a car, compare each area.
  4. Confirm and document. Scan again to confirm it is the device you were following, then photograph it where it was before you move or disable it. Then read what to do if you find a tracker.

If you can’t find it

Scan again in a different place to see whether the device is still with you. If an alert keeps coming back but you can’t find the tracker, a mechanic can check the outside and underside of a car, and the police can advise you — especially if you feel unsafe. Apple advises going to a safe public location and contacting law enforcement if you can’t find the device and feel your safety is at risk.

Frequently asked questions

Where do people usually hide AirTags in a car?

Common places are under or between the seats, in seat-back and door pockets, the glove box and centre console, under floor mats, in the boot and spare-wheel well, and on the outside in wheel arches, behind bumpers or under the car, often in a small case. Search the inside first, then the outside with a flashlight.

How big is an AirTag?

An AirTag is a small round disc roughly 3 cm across, about the size of a large coin, with a white front and a polished metal back. Other trackers come as small squares, rounded tags, stickers or thin cards the size of a credit card.

How close do I need to be to detect a Bluetooth tracker?

It varies. Bluetooth tags can often be picked up from several metres away, sometimes more in open space, but walls, car bodies, bags and human bodies weaken the signal. Walk slowly through the area you are checking while you scan.

Can a tracker be hidden inside clothing?

Yes. Check coat and jacket pockets, hoods, linings and seams, and feel for a hard, coin-shaped lump. Thin card-shaped trackers can also be slipped into a wallet or a phone case.

Why can’t I make the tracker play a sound?

A tracker may refuse a sound request while it is near its owner, may be out of range, may have changed its Bluetooth identifier, or may not support the request. Some trackers have also been modified to be silent. Use the signal strength and a hand search instead.

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