Third party AirTags research

It turns out you can buy some NRF51822 boards/tags on AliExpress (e.g. this one, but there are cheaper ones), and flash a custom firmware on them that will allow OpenHaystack integration, with the tags lasting years on a battery.

Software

• https://github.com/dchristl/macless-haystack/ - An OpenHaystack server/client pair that allows you to track your tags from any browser (this is what I use).
• https://github.com/acalatrava/openhaystack-firmware - The custom firmware (includes pre-compiled binaries).
• https://github.com/dchristl/macless-haystack/blob/main/firmware/nrf5x/README.md - Instructions on how to modify the pre-compiled firmware and flash it onto your tag (this is probably all you need).
• https://github.com/seemoo-lab/openhaystack/issues/57#issuecomment-880214651 - Some Ali boards don’t have a crystal, but a crystal makes the tag last even longer.
• https://github.com/seemoo-lab/openhaystack/issues/35#issuecomment-828338751 - More instructions for building and flashing the firmware.

General info

• https://positive.security/blog/find-you - Details about how the anti-stalking features work (or don’t).

Last updated on October 14, 2024. For any questions/feedback, email me at hi@stavros.io.