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Apple Airtag: A New Way to Track Your Stuff
In this article
Introduction
You have a date and you are already 10 minutes late. You grab your jacket, keys, and wallet and rush out.
Lucky for you, you reach the park just before your date decides to leave.
The date goes well and after spending most of the afternoon, you happily drive back home.
You drop your keys in the key bowl and start taking off your jacket, but then you realize something is missing. You check all your pockets and…
Oh crap! You justify your wallet in the park!
You suddenly start recalling all the places you’ve been to the park bench, the fountain, that ice-cream stall……
Now, you have only two options: search the whole place or wait for someone to find it and call you.
Sounds familiar?
Losing thing is a concept we are all familiar with and we can proudly say “been there, done that.”
But the noteworthy thing is that: you and I are not the only people losing stuff around here, everyone is!
Let me show you the gravity of this situation with a few stats:
- An average American spends 2.5 days each year looking for lost items collectively costing U.S. households $2.7 billion annually in replacement costs.
- On average you spend 10 minutes a day looking for your phone, keys, or other misplaced items which are 2.5 days per year.
- People spent 4.5 hours searching for the TV controller every week!
To solve this major crisis, in April 2021, Apple introduced Airtags at an event.
Video Player
Wait! Wait! Wait!
Let’s take a pause and start from the beginning:
What Is Apple AirTag?
Apple’s Airtag is a simple way to stay connected with your things in this digitally connected world. An iPhone accessory provides a private and secure way to locate items that matter to you.
But we should not forget that Apple is not the pioneer of trackers. It’s just trying to expand its Find My ecosystem with AirTag.
Apple’s AirTag is a product to rival Tile and other companies including Locca, Hum, Whistle, TrackR, and Pebblebee Finder who are already in the game.
How Does the AirTag Work?
Apple says Airtags works the same as pairing AirPods. You can see it in the new items tab of the Find My app and name the items it is connected with.
Assume that you are at your home and you’ve lost your keys. Then you’ll probably still be within the Bluetooth range of your AirTag.
In this case, you can go to Find my and it will detect Bluetooth signals from your Airtags. After that, you’ll be able to use the built-in speaker that will guide you to their location.
To add the cherry on top, AirTags have Siri-support, so you can command your iOS assistant to help you locate the lost item.
This part of the equation is simple. But, once we step outside the house, then things get a lot more interesting.
So, What Happens if You Are Out of Bluetooth Range?
Now, if you’ve justified something far behind with Airtag attached to it, for instance on a park bench, you can open Find My network and see its last known location.
Your devices will send the location of your AirTag to iCloud and then you can see it on a map.
If you leave something behind then you can at least return to the same spot and collect it.
What Happens if Something Is Really Lost?
In that case, you can put your AirTag into Lost mode.
In lost mode, your phones will notify you when your tag is within the range of the Find My network.
Or, if someone else happens to stumble on your AirTag, she or he can simply use an iPhone or any NFC-capable device to view your contact number (if it’s listed).
If you are still wondering!
Tags and the Find My app leverage Apple’s U1 chip with Ultra-Wideband technology to use Precision Finding.
This feature relies on camera input, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope to guide you to your AirTag. It also uses sound, haptic, and visual feedback to help you find your item.
On top of the U1 chip, AirTag uses Bluetooth, so that anyone with an iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 device will be able to use them.
To help you easily navigate, the Find My app will give you helpful notes, for instance, how many feet away your AirTag is and in which direction.
Apple’s Airtags are for everyone, hence their Precision Finding also has a voice-over option to help low-vision or blind users.
All that sounds great!
But, if you are a skeptical person like me, then you must have some security and privacy concerns.
Am I right or am I right?
Indeed, Apple’s Airtag leverages the Find My network. To ensures that you can locate AirTags in most situations, nearly a billion iOS devices around the world participate in it.
But this also means they can be tracked very closely, which opens the possibility of them being abused.
Is Apple Airtag Secure?
Apple’s name has been synonymous with ‘Privacy and Security for many. And, even with their new product, they have eliminated the problem of security as much as possible.
“AirTag is designed to track items, not people,” Wolfman-Estrada said during the Apple spring event.
airbags are tiny, lightweight discs so they won’t weigh down keyrings or backpacks. This makes them easy to slip into someone’s bag.
So, what happens if someone tries to use Airtag to stalk you from their own Apple device.
To address this, if the Find My app in your phone detects an AirTag not attached to your Apple ID it will immediately alert you.
But What Happens When You Don’t Own an iPhone?
In that case, the Airtag itself will raise an audible alert to let you know it’s there.
Apple says “Bluetooth signal identifiers transmitted by AirTag rotate frequently to prevent unwanted location tracking. iOS devices can also detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time.”
Besides, to stop someone slipping an AirTag into your pocket, you will be able to detect if an unknown AirTag appears to be moving with you.
Will You Be Able to See Devices Near Your Airtag?
AirTags use Apple’s network to locate missing devices, but Apple says, “no location data or location history is physically stored inside AirTag.”
Despite, Apple’s several claims Forbes shared the risk Airtag users will still face.
Now, let’s get real.
How Much Does an Airtag Cost?
In the US, Apple AirTag is prices at $29 for on or $99 for a pack of four.
You can carry your Airtags with style with a range of extra accessories available to buy separately, including Parisian fashion brand Hermes accessories.
And, to add the final Apple touch, you will be able to customize it with your initials or a sweet emoji. That is for free.
You can always find rival alternatives to Apple products, in this case, its Tile. While Airtags are relatively new, Tile has been around for quite some time.
This raises an obvious question:
Which Is Better Airtag or Tile?
While we can tell you which one’s better, but we can share their similarities and difference. This will help you judge them on your own.
AirTag and Tile’s trackers share many important features, such as:
- Close-range Bluetooth tracking
- Location tracking
- Built-in speaker for audio alerts
- Replaceable batteries
- Water-resistance
But the differences are more pronounced when it comes to other features.
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Now, let me tell you a secret!
While it’s a no-brainer that both the tracker are great, AirTags tends to be more accurate than a Tile tracker with standard tracking on a map.
Also, as we know Apple’s Find my network is made up of all the iPhones, iPads, Macs, and iPad the total number is approaching a billion. Its network is a more extensive network over Tile’s, which accounts for millions.
Before, we wrap us, here are few things you should know about Airtags usage.
Which Iphones Work Best With Airtags?
Precision Finding is compatible with iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Do I Need to Charge My AirTag?
No. AirTag’s battery lasts for about one year before it needs to be replaced.
Can you share your AirTags?
Absolutely, yes!
To share your AirTag with a person in your Family Sharing group, simply disable safety alerts.
And, if they’re not a part of your family, then the person can temporarily disable alerts.
In case that person losses something attached to your Airtag then only you can track an AirTag linked to your Apple ID with the Find My app.
No, you cannot provide tracking access to other people.
Can I Travel Anywhere With AirTags?
If you want to travel with Airtag, there are certain limitations that you should be aware of.
For instance, Precision Finding will not work in certain countries such as Russia, Indonesia, and Argentina.
Can I Track My Pets and Children?
AirTags are designed to track items and not people.
Apple does not recommend tracking you to track pets or children.
Instead, the company recommends an Apple Watch that uses Family Setup to keeping tabs on children.
Can I Connect Unlimited Airtags to My Apple ID?
Unfortunately, no!
Apple ID will only allow you to associate up to 16 AirTags at one time.
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