Apple AirTag - The £25 Car tracker with no subscription!
Discussion
I've recently delved into the world of Apple products switching from an Android phone and Windows Laptop to an iPhone and iMac. Something that caught my eye, is their new Apple AirTag product. With money seemingly burning a hole in my pocket I decided to try them out.
Pack of 4 was £85 on eBay with a 15% off code, split the pack with family so paid just over £20 for one.
What are they?
A small disc about the size of a 50p, with a battery that lasts a year and is replaceable.
How does it work?
As I understand it, the AirTag has no GPS connection - instead, it relies on the huge ecosystem of Apple products to relay its signal to the Apple servers. For instance, if you have it as a key ring and lose your keys in a high street, every time someone with an iPhone walks past it the location will be relayed to you in your Find My app. Interestingly it seems to show you the location of the device that identified it, not the location of the item itself although it will be within the vicinity.
How do you use it as a car tracker?
Easy - Hide it in your car (Sun visor clip, glove box, boot, etc) - That's it. You now have a tracker in your car that has no subscription.
I've been doing some testing, I was recently 150 miles away from my car and saw regular updates from neighbour's Apple devices showing that the car was still at home. It shows the car as being in people's bedrooms/on the road immediately outside presumably as a phone in a car driving past connected with it. You'll see something along the lines of 'Location updated 20 minutes ago'.
Notes:
-If your car or item is in the middle of nowhere and there is no Apple Device nearby you will not know it has moved
-I don't think you can follow it live in the same way you'd expect a tracker to work - but I haven't tested that. Instead I would expect periodic updates.
-You can put it in a lost mode to notify you as soon as it's located - You can also set it to show a message if it is recovered by another Apple user such as your contact details
-There is a chime built into it that you can activate from your phone and a compass UI helps you find it once you get closer.
-If you put it in someone else's car without their permission, if it connected to their phone and not yours it will sound a chime so that the driver is aware they are being tracked. If you're with them, it won't do so.
Overall, for the sake of £20-25 I think it's an absolute bargain. Because it's so portable you can easily chuck it in your golf clubs, suitcases, etc when travelling and put it back in the car later.
Pack of 4 was £85 on eBay with a 15% off code, split the pack with family so paid just over £20 for one.
What are they?
A small disc about the size of a 50p, with a battery that lasts a year and is replaceable.
How does it work?
As I understand it, the AirTag has no GPS connection - instead, it relies on the huge ecosystem of Apple products to relay its signal to the Apple servers. For instance, if you have it as a key ring and lose your keys in a high street, every time someone with an iPhone walks past it the location will be relayed to you in your Find My app. Interestingly it seems to show you the location of the device that identified it, not the location of the item itself although it will be within the vicinity.
How do you use it as a car tracker?
Easy - Hide it in your car (Sun visor clip, glove box, boot, etc) - That's it. You now have a tracker in your car that has no subscription.
I've been doing some testing, I was recently 150 miles away from my car and saw regular updates from neighbour's Apple devices showing that the car was still at home. It shows the car as being in people's bedrooms/on the road immediately outside presumably as a phone in a car driving past connected with it. You'll see something along the lines of 'Location updated 20 minutes ago'.
Notes:
-If your car or item is in the middle of nowhere and there is no Apple Device nearby you will not know it has moved
-I don't think you can follow it live in the same way you'd expect a tracker to work - but I haven't tested that. Instead I would expect periodic updates.
-You can put it in a lost mode to notify you as soon as it's located - You can also set it to show a message if it is recovered by another Apple user such as your contact details
-There is a chime built into it that you can activate from your phone and a compass UI helps you find it once you get closer.
-If you put it in someone else's car without their permission, if it connected to their phone and not yours it will sound a chime so that the driver is aware they are being tracked. If you're with them, it won't do so.
Overall, for the sake of £20-25 I think it's an absolute bargain. Because it's so portable you can easily chuck it in your golf clubs, suitcases, etc when travelling and put it back in the car later.
Edited by joropug on Thursday 9th September 11:07
595Heaven said:
This is the flaw in the plan. If a thief is in your car and has an iPhone, after a while they will be told that an Airtag is near them. They can then search for and destroy the AirTag or inhibit it
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227
For the money though, it is well worth doing
Yes definitely, it is a bit of a limitation but I do get why it happens - Hopefully if a thief has nicked it they aren't looking at their phone or can't find the tag. You could slip it behind the headlining really as its so slim. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227
For the money though, it is well worth doing
Realistically my car is not parked anywhere dodgy nor particularly targeted by thieves - it's a nice to have.
I suppose hiding one in a car has a few possible outcomes:
-They can't find it as they didn't get notified/hear it. Likely get the car back ok.
-They can't find it, so abandon the car leaving it with a battered interior
-They do find it, and it disappears with a battered interior
I am tempted to buy some more for other possessions.
-They can't find it as they didn't get notified/hear it. Likely get the car back ok.
-They can't find it, so abandon the car leaving it with a battered interior
-They do find it, and it disappears with a battered interior
I am tempted to buy some more for other possessions.
aparna said:
Could use a tile. Cheaper. Better speaker too. Works well enough.
They aren't really cheaper - I just had a look at the website, looks like they with the same principals but rely on the 'Tile network' rather than the Apple network. I know one person who has bought a Tile and therefore will have the app on their phone, versus probably 50% of the people I know have an iPhone.
iPads, Macs etc all pick up the signal too.
ridds said:
That's really cool - it's a shame you can't provide the ability to track it to someone else. For instance the recipient on something high value.
LeadFarmer said:
Does this mean that ...
If it's in your car and someone else in your family (with an iPhone) uses the car, will it keep sounding a chime all the time whilst they are driving?
Every time they get into the car will they get a notification on their iPhone that they have detected an AirTag?
If so then this could be annoying or them
Yes I think so - my mum took my dads keys to the shop and she was getting notifications saying she was being tracked. I don’t think the tag will chime though unless you ask it toIf it's in your car and someone else in your family (with an iPhone) uses the car, will it keep sounding a chime all the time whilst they are driving?
Every time they get into the car will they get a notification on their iPhone that they have detected an AirTag?
If so then this could be annoying or them
Edited by LeadFarmer on Wednesday 2nd February 20:04
LeadFarmer said:
AirTags? are designed to start playing a sound between eight and 24 hours after being separated from their owner, and iPhone users are alerted if an AirTag is traveling with them.
Surely this stops it acting as a discrete tracker if a car thief has an iPhone on them, or family member takes the car out?
It's not foolproof obviously and can't compare to a proper tracker, but it might the help needed to track your car before it goes dark. or like me remember where you parked it.Surely this stops it acting as a discrete tracker if a car thief has an iPhone on them, or family member takes the car out?
Mine has been in my car since I started this thread, a couple of times, it has randomly started chirping when I get in the car and begin driving.
But I think what is more likely is that is chirping for a while in my car and I catch the tail end of it. It shuts up after about 30 seconds.
Bit weird - was wondering if someone has an apple device left in a nearby car that's triggering it. Both times it has been in a work car park.
But I think what is more likely is that is chirping for a while in my car and I catch the tail end of it. It shuts up after about 30 seconds.
Bit weird - was wondering if someone has an apple device left in a nearby car that's triggering it. Both times it has been in a work car park.
Spare tyre said:
We have an airtag on my wife’s keys and in her car
Very handy when keys go missing or if I want to know if wife is on way home etc
She reports hers randomly chirping, but I’m not sure of when it started etc
She is not an iPhone user
For yours it’s behaving as intended - your wife is being alerted she is being tracked . If you were in the car with her it won’t do that Very handy when keys go missing or if I want to know if wife is on way home etc
She reports hers randomly chirping, but I’m not sure of when it started etc
She is not an iPhone user
Gassing Station | In-Car Electronics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff