Latest dossier · GPS Trackers · 6 min read
Pairing a Galaxy SmartTag2 takes a Samsung phone, a signed-in Samsung account and the SmartThings app. This walk-through follows Samsung's support pages from pairing to the map shortcut and the button routine.
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Counter-Surveillance & Privacy Law
Placing a tracker on a car you do not own or lease can break stalking and tracking laws. This article reads the federal statute and two state laws,…
GPS Trackers
Setting up an AirTag takes a few taps once the iPhone is ready. This walk-through follows Apple's instructions, from the software version you need to the checklist for…
GPS Trackers
An AirTag does not report its own position. Nearby Apple devices relay it over Bluetooth, and the location is encrypted so that only the owner can read it.…
Family & Pet Monitoring
A coin cell battery like the CR2032 in an AirTag can cause serious burns in as little as two hours. This page covers who to call, the honey…
GPS Trackers
Tile lists both iPhone and Android on its own support pages, AirTag is documented for iPhone and iPad, and SmartTag2 for Galaxy phones. Here is how that plays…
Hidden Cameras & Nanny Cams
A phone's own hardware can sense far less than hidden camera app listings suggest. Here is what the magnetometer, Wi-Fi radio and time-of-flight sensor can and cannot do,…
GPS Trackers
An Android phone cannot add or locate an AirTag, but it can warn you about one and read it by NFC. This guide covers what Apple and Google…
GPS Trackers
Google renamed Find My Device to Find Hub, and Samsung runs its own locator. Here is how the two differ, how to switch Find Hub on, and what…
Counter-Surveillance & Privacy Law
Phone stalkerware is built to hide, and removing it can alert the person watching you. Here are the signs, the checks, and the order to do things in.
It depends on the state. Federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2511(2)(d)) allows a recording when one party to the conversation consents, and many states follow that rule. Others, California among them (Penal Code § 632), require every party to agree. Recording a conversation you are not part of is a separate and much riskier question.
Video of the common areas of your own home is generally allowed, and audio recording and private spaces such as bathrooms change the answer. Our guide to cameras and household workers walks through the cases. Housekeepers and cameras.
Recording a roommate in a shared bedroom without their knowledge is unlawful in nearly every state, whoever signed the housing form. A camera aimed at your own desk is a different situation. Dorm room camera rules.
Tracking a vehicle you own, or one the owner has agreed you may track, is the safe case. Putting a tracker on someone else's car without their consent can be stalking or a privacy offense in many states, and state statutes vary. Magnetic vs hardwired GPS trackers.
No. We do not run a test lab. We read manufacturer specifications and the relevant laws, then weigh them against what owners report. The method is described on our evaluation page. How we evaluate.
Statutes cited: 18 U.S.C. § 2511, California Penal Code § 632. General information, not legal advice.