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Do AirTags only make a sound if disconnected and if moved?

Do I understand correctly, the AirTags only makes a sound if disconnected AND if moved? I plan to leave it in my car, which I park at various spots and sometimes forget where that is, as I sometimes don't use it weeks.

It would be inconvenient, if the AiTag beeps all the time.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Apr 30, 2021 1:24 PM

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Posted on May 28, 2021 2:32 PM

My AirTag on my keychain has made a sound twice now without my request. The first time I was out walking with my Phone. The second time I was at home near my phone. I don't find any other mention of this in discussions. I'll start a new thread for this question if the answer is not simple.

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May 28, 2021 2:32 PM in response to Dennison199

My AirTag on my keychain has made a sound twice now without my request. The first time I was out walking with my Phone. The second time I was at home near my phone. I don't find any other mention of this in discussions. I'll start a new thread for this question if the answer is not simple.

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Jun 27, 2021 10:44 AM in response to misturissy

I am experiencing the same problem and so is my wife. We have a total of 8 all together and sometimes the airtag wants to re-pair with my iPhone as it did when I first purchased them. Does this mean anyone can take ownership of my airtags? This is a big security flaw if it’s not iCloud locked like all of my other Apple products.


We deserve an explanation for the obvious flaw that renders them very expensive over glorified battery holders.



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Jul 8, 2021 12:27 PM in response to CadeS

i have the same issue: AirTag beeps when I move my keys.


Why? As others have said this seems to be design…

As I understand the AirTag will beep without being asked to if two conditions are met:

  • the AirTag is moved

and

  • the AirTag hasn’t been in Bluetooth contact with the user’s phone for a specific period of time


As I generally keep Bluetooth off on my phone (old phone with battery issues) this explains my scenario.


I would imagine this explains other people’s experiences here too, but would be good to hear.

I suspect folk fall into two categories.

Either they keep Bluetooth off like me, or their Airtag is kept in a place where it’s out of Bluetooth range for the predefined period (such as the car).


Hope that helps!

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Apr 30, 2021 5:38 PM in response to Sakrileg

Air-tags only make noise when you request it to in the Find My App, If you want to use AirTags in your Car make sure you have an iPhone 11 or newer because I don't think you will be able to hear sound from the AirTag. You can read more about Airtags here: https://www.apple.com/airtag/


I hope I answered your question,

Cheers!

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Jun 25, 2021 10:39 PM in response to Sakrileg

This happened to me a few times in the past days. I notice these past days I haven't wore my watch and I leave Bluetooth off when I don't. Every time it connects to your phone through Bluetooth it pings it and lets the server know you are with your airtag. I guess over night if Bluetooth is left off or during a elapsed time, if it does not get that ping it thinks you are not with it. Then when it senses movement it activates it's anti stalker/lost features. When I lift my keys I get a sound but not the same sound it plays when you use the app to play a sound on the tag.

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Jun 27, 2021 3:44 PM in response to chris mundy

Mine did this early on - my keys a few times as I wrote about, and my bag once. Now however, this has not happened in a number of weeks. So it appears to have cleared up somehow.


This seems to have occurred for a few of us but, based on the few folks on this thread, doesn't seem like it's very common. Trying for a theory, I'm wondering if we share a common characteristic with respect to Apple which caused this to happen to us? I have two apple IDs (which is a constant hassle). I have my original Apple ID for "media and purchases". I have a second Apple ID for iCloud. When my keys were chiming, it was almost like it didn't know I was me, so to speak. I wonder if there was some confusion about Apple ID association with the AirTag, and then this somehow got fixed. I think my AirTags should be associated with my iCloud ID (although I don't find a way to really verify that). Just a theory, but I thought I'd add this to the thread in case we share having multiple Apple IDs in common.

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Jun 29, 2021 4:24 PM in response to FloridaDjs

This is a documented feature: If an AirTag is separated for a period of time from its owner, it will make a sound to alert those nearby.

Think of it as follows: you lef your keys with airtag in your mistress handbag and could not find it. If your device has not connected with it (via BT), it may mean you lost your keys. When her husband picks up the bag, your air tag detects the movement and the fact that you have not been around for a while…. and will make a sound. The man can then find your keys, identify your phone-number and bring your keys to your house.

Anyway: it’s a feature, not a bug

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Jun 29, 2021 5:49 PM in response to didier215

That wasn’t what was happening. What was happening us that while it was in my pocket it would randomly go off and then stop. Or, when I picked it up it would go off. However, they seem to have updated themselves and I no longer have the problem.


Definitely wasn’t a feature…

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Jul 1, 2021 1:50 PM in response to J2_7183

I have an airtag on my dog, he has been with me and it has chimed twice now today without my request or my husbands request. I only have one Apple ID however we have two IDs in the family. The dog does not love the noise and I haven’t found any solid answers on why it’s happening. Both times my phone has been within Bluetooth range. He’s a dog so obviously it moves, the first time was when I first picked his collar up in the morning. Posting in hopes that someone with Apple responds or looks into an obvious issue.

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Jul 3, 2021 12:20 PM in response to Sakrileg

All mine have been doing it too. I am on vacation and I have one in my backpack, keys and my wallet. The one in my backpack makes noise every time I move it. I don’t use it much but anytime I move it it makes noise. The key one will do it randomly when it’s moved but my wife takes it without me sometimes. But my wallet, which I use daily, does it all the time. Especially in the morning after it has been sitting overnight. I am with a lot of family and they constantly get notifications saying an air tag is traveling with them too. Super annoying.

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Jul 9, 2021 7:31 AM in response to orfy

Has happened to all 3 of my air tags, including just now when I’ve been watching tv in bed with the airtag next to me for 2 hours. Get up to go to the bathroom and bump the airtag and it pings. I never turn Bluetooth off. It’s happened with the others when I’ve been away from them for maybe 30 mins but as soon as I get close to them they ping. So going out the back of the house and then inside. Makes no sense, I’ll ring them if I want them. Stupid “feature” if that’s what it’s meant to be.

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Jul 13, 2021 6:24 PM in response to j3r4m3y

does anyone have any articles or links to what might cause this or anything? I can't find a single thing and I'm not going to bother going to an Apple store or ringing cause they will have no clue like always. Or even better, "escalate it to an engineer" who you get one email from then never hear from or get a response from again as has happened every time I have contacted them with a genuine issue that they don't seem to be able to solve.

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Do AirTags only make a sound if disconnected and if moved?

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