I've noticed my S3 setting off some store's security alarms when I enter or leave. Wifi and Mobile Data are both off, but phone function is on. Anybody else have this happen, and is there a fix?
Setting off alarms!
- Thread starter gcwj
- Start date
I haven't had that happen with mine. I don't do a lot of shopping though. Maybe has to do with the NFC capability of the phone.
montanaxvi
Well-known member
- Oct 3, 2010
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I doubt it is actually the phone but rather a sticker or "tag" on an article of clothing or shoe etc. I work in retail loss prevention and have never seen a phone set off the EAS (electronic article surveillance) towers by the doors.
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Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
My clothes/shoes never set off any alarms until I started carrying my new phone with me. So much for your theory.
It may be the NFC is on a similar frequency as the store's RF antenna. Could also be that the modulation on the idle NFC or a waiting state could be bouncing the RF scan back at a proper range to set it off.
Do you have NFC/beam enabled or disabled? If your phone sets one off again, try setting it down and walking through again without it and see if it does not go off, assuming of course you did not already try this.
Do you have NFC/beam enabled or disabled? If your phone sets one off again, try setting it down and walking through again without it and see if it does not go off, assuming of course you did not already try this.
NFC, Android Beam, S Beam, DLNA, Bluetooth, etc., are all off. Only thing on is phone call function. I'll try what you suggested, plus maybe I'll try Airplane mode.
Even though the OP dismissed your suggestion I think it is a good one. A couple years ago I started setting off the alarms too. I thought it was my keys or my phone. Maybe a year ago my niece noticed one of my lighter jackets had a weird security tag type thing inside the jacket. I had that jacket 2 years or more before we noticed it. I think the tag thing was 'installed' by the maker of the jacket and not the store but I am not sure.
montanaxvi
Well-known member
- Oct 3, 2010
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It's not a theory. I'm telling you it is NOT your phone. Believe if you want or don't, makes no difference to me. The frequency used by these alarm systems isn't something that is going to be interfered with by anything on your phone. Go get someone else with the sane phone and watch them not set it off then you can figure out where you picked up a tag from that is tripping the alarm. If, and I say IF it is your phone then the phone has a tag on it somewhere that's tripping the alarm.
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- Oct 11, 2009
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Next time at the store:
In either case, please report back. I am too curious to not know what happens here
True story:
A few years ago my kids somehow got a security tag between the outer shell and inner lining of my jacket. I set off alarms constantly at stores, and never found out what happened until I tossed the jacket and bought a new one -- when my son told me what they did.
+1 for sneakyass kids
- Walk up to the "gate" that gets the loss prevention signal.
- Put your phone in your right hand.
- Stick your right arm through the gate.
- Pull right arm back.
- Turn around
- Extend right arm again.
- Walk backwards through gate, stopping before phone reaches the sensing point.
In either case, please report back. I am too curious to not know what happens here
True story:
A few years ago my kids somehow got a security tag between the outer shell and inner lining of my jacket. I set off alarms constantly at stores, and never found out what happened until I tossed the jacket and bought a new one -- when my son told me what they did.
+1 for sneakyass kids
Mine has done it a couple of times (two different Wal-Marts and a Target) and I came out with exactly what I had when I went in. Just the GS3. My NFC and Beam were on though and it stopped happening after I turned them off. It can happen just double check they are truly off.
i nvr seen a phone set it off.
I work at a grocery store. And have all kinds of fun sticking those security labels on co workers.
I work at a grocery store. And have all kinds of fun sticking those security labels on co workers.
While I may agree with you that it is not likely to be the phone, from an EE perspective it is entirely plausible. Frequency modulation is quite touchy, and just putting pressure on an antenna or signal generator can push the range (which is why they advised people not to put their fingers on early cell phone antennas because your body became an antenna extension). So while other people's phone may not, even if they are S3's, if his phone is at, for example, the high end of manufacturing tolerance for the signal emissions (made-up simplification) and the gate he walks through is at the low end (also simplified), they could very possibly interact with each other.
EDIT: I am also familiar with various sorts of RF receiver tags. Some are large and plastic (obvious to spot) and some are just labels like you would put on paper with a thin aluminum antenna on the back that returns a specific frequency from a scanner. They are universal and coming from one store to another you can set one off because of the universality of the tags.
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Is it the passive/active white keycard with the large coil of wire inside in the middle and the small active RF transmitter inside in a corner that are used at door scanners? Those are famous for it.
True story:
A few years ago my kids somehow got a security tag between the outer shell and inner lining of my jacket. I set off alarms constantly at stores, and never found out what happened until I tossed the jacket and bought a new one -- when my son told me what they did.
+1 for sneakyass kids
Man my niece found the tag. Your kids PLANTED your tag.
I don't think once did I ever stop nor did anyone seem to care I set it off. Did it for 2 years in the Fall or Spring. I thought it was my keys mostly. I had moved into a new apartment complex that has a remote controlled gate. Still didn't make sense to me as you had to press the button to activate. My niece took my jacket and found the damn tag.
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mzanette
Zee
- Aug 22, 2012
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Next time at the store:
If this sets off the alarm, it's your phone. If it doesn't set off the alarm:
- Walk up to the "gate" that gets the loss prevention signal.
- Put your phone in your right hand.
- Stick your right arm through the gate.
If this sets off the alarm, it's not your phone. Look inside your wallet, under the insoles of your shoes, or any other place where a tag could be that you haven't noticed.
- Pull right arm back.
- Turn around
- Extend right arm again.
- Walk backwards through gate, stopping before phone reaches the sensing point.
In either case, please report back. I am too curious to not know what happens here
True story:
A few years ago my kids somehow got a security tag between the outer shell and inner lining of my jacket. I set off alarms constantly at stores, and never found out what happened until I tossed the jacket and bought a new one -- when my son told me what they did.
+1 for sneakyass kids
Way too complicated.
Take off all your clothes and walk through the scanner naked with just the phone. Report back to us.
Solved! When I got the phone, I also got a new billfold (with hidden tag)! I owe everybody a beer...
gvndeb60
Well-known member
- Aug 3, 2010
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So maybe Montana was on to something? Nah.......(extreme sarcasm here).
Maybe I will turn on nfc and beam and try to set off some alarms 
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums
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