Apple AirTag has received an important update that works on bolstering privacy. The update is arriving as an OTA update and your tracker will only get an update when in range with the connected iPhone. Currently, there is no way to update the AirTag manually.

As first reported by CNET, the new firmware update changes the way the alert works. Before the update, Apple AirTag used to take longer than three days to play an alert after being separated from its owner. Now, this window of time has been changed. AirTag will make sound anywhere between 8 to 24 hours so that the person who is oblivious to the scenario could know that he is being tracked by someone.

AirTag was highly criticized just after its availability. Several tech experts did experiments in order to know its worth and found out that the tracker has an apt proficiency to become a potential stalker. This is because it takes more than three days to play an alert and by the time the stalker would know the whereabouts of the victim.

For instance, an experiment done by an editor at The Washington Post found out that an AirTag can help the abusers to stalk their victims. This can be way too dangerous for people who live with their abusers. With the experiment, they discovered that the stalker just needs to slip an AirTag inside the backpack of the person they want to track and the rest updates will come on their connected iPhone. And, the victim will only get to know about this AirTag after three days when the harm is already done.

Now, Apple has reduced this play alert window to 24 hours. This means a lost or a planted AirTag will play sound within 24 hours. Reportedly, Apple believes, this change will help in bolstering the privacy of people even further.

According to CNET, Apple is also developing an app for Android users that will alert them to an AirTag potentially movie with them.

Note that AirTag features an NFC chip which means Android users can already use it to identify an AirTag, but a dedicated app will allow the Android users to receive alerts on unwanted tracking as well.

AirTags will update automatically when in range of a connected iPhone.