Are Your AirPods Spying on You While You Stream Your Favorite Songs?
Those harmless-looking earbuds might be more than just music devices. A tech expert is cautioning employees to reconsider accepting AirPods from their workplace, as employers could potentially use them to track their location.
“AirPods can be tracked indirectly through company-issued phones or laptops—not necessarily Apple devices—that employers already have access to,” explained Marc Porcar of QR Code Generator in an interview with Digital Journal, highlighting the hidden risks of such surveillance.
Beyond monitoring work-related activity, bosses might use this method to track off-duty habits, such as checking if remote employees sneak off to bars during lunch or take unauthorized shopping trips while on the clock.
Unfortunately, these tracking features can be used on both the latest Apple AirPods Pro and older models, though the expert notes that older versions offer less accurate location tracking.
According to Porcar, employees should be wary of AirPods that come in unsealed boxes or without any packaging. There’s a chance the employer has already connected them to a personal laptop or another device, creating a setup that allows them to, as The Police famously sang, watch “every move you make.”
The tech expert cautions that while “AirPods do not have built-in GPS or cellular capabilities,” employers can still “use the Find My network or a previously paired device to approximate an employee’s location, similar to how an AirTag works,” according to the Daily Mail. These tracking methods apply to both new and older AirPods models, though the latter offer less precise location tracking, the expert adds
To prevent being tracked by a boss or other bad actors, Porcar recommends manually resetting the AirPods to their factory settings. Start by placing both earbuds in the charging case, closing the lid, and waiting 30 seconds. Then, reopen the lid and press the small reset button on the back of the case for 15 seconds, until the front light flashes amber and then white. Once reset, any hidden tracking links are erased, cutting off supervisor surveillance.
After resetting, users can pair the AirPods to a personal Apple ID using an iMac, iPhone, or iPad, Porcar advises. However, he recommends doing this at a familiar location, like the office, since employers can see where the device was linked to a new Apple ID—meaning they could track if the switch happened somewhere like a bar.
Users can also turn off Find My AirPods through a connected iPhone or iPad by going to Settings, selecting the Devices tab, choosing their AirPods, and tapping Remove This Device.
For AirPods previously paired with a Mac, open the Find My app, navigate to the Devices tab, and select the AirPods from the list on the left. Then, click the circled “i” in the right-hand panel and choose Remove This Device to disable tracking.
However, simply pairing the AirPods with a new device won’t fully stop tracking. “Using AirPods with an Android phone or tablet does not prevent tracking if they remain linked to an Apple ID, as they can still be located through Apple’s network,” Porcar warned.
That said, disabling tracking might raise eyebrows at work — even if it’s a perfectly reasonable step to protect your privacy.
To avoid being monitored without raising suspicion, the best approach is to “keep your work AirPods at your usual place of work, whether that’s the office or at home,” advises Porcar.
“Don’t take them along for non-work-related activities like a morning jog, a gym session, or a quick drink after work,” he suggests. “This not only reduces the risk of theft and loss of company property but, more importantly, helps you avoid uncomfortable situations with your boss or anyone else with access to company device management.”
