11 ideas about things in your life that you can track with AirTags
The nifty little AirTags are probably the best way to track your keys, but the tiny little gadget can rely on a network of millions of iPhones around the globe and there surely could be other, potentially much more helpful ways, to use it and track the important things in your life.
If you have a more expensive bicycle or an electric scooter, or even a motorcycle, you definitely want to do your best to protect them from getting stolen. So if you want to put an AirTag in a bicycle, so that it just stays hidden inside so thieves wouldn't even know it's there, your first challenge is to find a location. You might want to embed it in the seat post or the seat itself, or if you are crafty and adventurous, it might be possible to drill a place for an AirTag in your bike frame. Once you find a spot for the AirTag, you can hope that if someone steals it they don't notice it and chances are high that the area will have at least a few iPhones around, so you can find your stolen bike and hopefully get it back.
In this article, we explore the things you can track with AirTags, and also talk about how long it might take for an AirTag to find each of these items and whether it can actually track everything or if certain items are not a good fit.
Of course, don't forget that AirTags were never designed to track people or pets, or to find stolen items. And most importantly, don't forget that AirTags can be easily disabled by simply removing the battery.
All of this, however, won't actually stop people from experimenting and putting them on pets and all sorts of other items, so let's actually explore all of those ideas and see the pros and cons with each of them!
#1: Find your child or pet
We actually have a dedicated article exploring how to find your child or pet with AirTags, but the answer is that yes, of course, you can track your child or pets with AirTags, but for children, it might be a much better idea to get them an Apple Watch and have an easy communication channel that will also help them locate them much more precisely and easily. For pets, an Apple Watch is not an option, and you probably shouldn't be surprised to know that just days after the launch of AirTag, there is already a vast collection of AirTag Pet Collars that you can outfit your dog or cat with.
The problem with tracking a pet with AirTags is that if pets get away from home, they can often roam into woods and other wilder places where there aren't many people with iPhones to help locate them. But it's better to have at least something and if you are in an urban area, the chances of finding your lost pet with an AirTag seems pretty high, so why not?
#2: Car
If your car does not have a built-in GPS tracker, putting an AirTag in your glove compartment, or hiding it somewhere in your car might be helpful in case someone steals it or in the more common occurrence of you forgetting where you parked it in that mall car lot.
So what is the chance of finding a stolen car with an AirTag? If the thieves use an iPhone, they themselves may unknowingly lead you to your car as their phone will help the AirTag give out the precise location, so it might not be a bad idea at all. Of course, this is not something that Apple officially recommends or vouches for, but as with everything on this list #whynot.
As for those of us who forget where they parked their car in the mall parking lot, with hundreds of people passing by those busy places, some tests have shown that it takes no longer than 15 minutes for the AirTag to actually give you a location if you are far away, or you can alternatively use the Find My app and if an AirTag is within a 100ft range, it should beam you the location instantly.
#3: Bicycle / Electric scooter / Motorcycle
#4: Camera gear
Camera gear is probably one thing that is particularly painful to have stolen. It can cost thousands of dollars, and it can usually all fit in a backpack and is completely unprotected, meaning that it's a perfect target for thieves.
Right now, there is no good way to hide an AirTag inside your camera, but if you carry it in a backpack or other bag, it might be a good idea to hide an AirTag in there in case the thief decides to keep it in that convenient storage unit. In the future, we definitely hope camera makers implement some sort of an AirTag spot or an alternative GPS tracker inside their cameras to make them better protected against theft.
#5: AirPods Max or other expensive headphones usually stored in a case
Spending $550 on headphones? Well, might be a good idea to attach an AirTag to them or to their case. Of course, this will be super easy to find and disable for a thief, but it will also be useful if you just misplace them and forget their whereabouts, making it much easier to find them.
#6: Drone
An AirTag weighs just 11g (0.4oz) making it possible to tape it to most drones without much of an issue. Why can this be helpful? Well, in the unfortunate event of your drone falling mid-flight, retrieving it can often be mission impossible. There is no guarantee that if you lose a drone somewhere in the mountains an AirTag will be helpful at all (if no one is even walking in that area, an AirTag will never be located), but if you happen to drop it in a place where there are at least some people, you will have a chance of finding that drone.
#7: Apple TV remote
Okay, we all know that feeling: the TV remote is lost again! Well, thanks to 3D printing and some clever guy has already made the perfect Apple TV remote case with a place for the AirTag making it so much easier to find that lost remote.
#8: Wallet
Of course, you can always drop an AirTag in your wallet and find it much quicker. Keep in mind, though, that an AirTag is a bit on the thick side to always carry in your wallet. It measures 8mm (0.31") thick, which is roughly the size of 5 nickels, if you wallet has a coin compartment. Alternatively, you can attach an AirTag to your wallet instead of placing it inside.
#9: Backpack
Another great idea for an item you can track with an AirTag is your backpack / bag. If you often misplace your items or if you're afraid someone might steal it, this can definitely be a great idea.
#10: Passport / Driver's license
Losing your passport while travelling can be seriously frustrating, and often have very unpleasant consequences. That's why placing it in a special case with an AirTag inside might be a wise decision. It's not guaranteed that you will find it, but it's better than having it hopelessly lost.
#11: Glasses
This is more of a humorous suggestion than anything else, but for those of us wearing glasses, you know the frustration of losing them. If only there was an easy way to have something like an AirTag that would help find your glasses!
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