How can I find an AirTag that was placed in my vehicle

Hello July1863,

Thank you for reaching out to Apple Support Communities, and we'll be happy to help in any way we can. We understand you're having issues with locating an AirTag. Try the steps here to see if they resolve the issue: What to do if you get an alert that an AirTag, Find My network accessory, or set of AirPods is with you - Apple Support

"AirTag lets you easily track things like your keys, wallet, purse, backpack, luggage, and more. Simply set it up with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and attach it to your item, and your AirTag shows up in the Items tab in the Find My app.

AirTag and devices that are part of the Find My network accessory program, and some AirPod models—AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max—use the Find My network to help you keep track of and find your belongings.* After you set up a compatible item, it shows up in the Devices or Items tab in the Find My app.

AirTag, AirPods, and other Find My network accessories include features to guard against unwanted tracking. They should not be used to track people, and should not be used to track property that does not belong to you. Using these products to track people without their consent is a crime in many countries and regions around the world. If an AirTag, set of AirPods, or Find My network accessory is discovered to be unlawfully tracking a person, law enforcement can request any available information from Apple to support their investigation.

AirTag, AirPods, and Find My network accessories are designed to protect your privacy when you're using them to keep track of important items. They have unique Bluetooth identifiers that change frequently. The Find My network uses end-to-end encryption and is built with privacy in mind.

Learn more about Find My and Privacy

Unwanted tracking

If any AirTag, AirPods, or other Find My network accessory separated from its owner is seen moving with you over time, you'll be notified in one of two ways. These features were created specifically to discourage people from trying to track you without your knowledge.

1. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Find My will send a notification to your Apple device. This feature is available on iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later. To receive alerts, make sure that you:

• Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and turn Location Services on.
• Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn Find My iPhone on.
• Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn Significant Locations on to be notified when you arrive at a significant location, such as your home. 
• Go to Settings > Bluetooth, and turn Bluetooth on. 
• Go to the Find My app, tap the Me tab, and turn Tracking Notifications on.
• Turn off airplane mode. If your device is in airplane mode, you won't receive tracking notifications.

1. An AirTag, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) charging case, or Find My network accessory that isn't with its owner for a period of time will emit a sound when it's moved.

If you detect an unknown AirTag, Find My network accessory, or AirPods, use the steps below to learn about it, find it, and disable it. If you're using an Android device, you can download the Tracker Detect appto find an AirTag or Find My network accessory that's separated from its owner and might be traveling with you.

If you see an alert

If you see one of the following alerts on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, an item compatible with the Find My network could be traveling with you, and the owner might be able to see its location. This could be an AirTag, AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or a Find My network accessory from manufacturers other than Apple.

It's possible that the AirTag or Find My network accessory might be attached to an item you're borrowing, or you might get this alert if you’re borrowing someone else’s AirPods. If you're borrowing an AirTag or another item compatible with the Find My network from a member of your Family Sharing group, you can turn off alerts for that item for one day, or indefinitely.

If an AirTag that's separated from its owner is seen moving with you over time, or if your iPhone is awake and an AirTag that isn't with its owner for a period of time emits a sound to indicate that it has moved, this alert is displayed: AirTag Found Moving With You.

Find My displays a map of where the AirTag, Find My network accessory, or set of AirPods has been observed with you. The red dots show where the unknown item was detected near your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The dashed lines connecting the red dots help indicate the sequence where the item was detected with you. The red dots do not indicate when the item's owner is viewing the item's location.

If AirPods that are separated from their owner are seen moving with you over time, one of these alerts is displayed: AirPods Detected, AirPods Pro Detected, or AirPods Max Detected.

If a Find My network accessory that's separated from its owner is seen moving with you over time, this alert is displayed: "Product Name" Detected (where "Product Name" is the name of the Find My network accessory that has been detected). 

If AirPods or a Find My network accessory is detected but the Find My app has issues connecting to them or to the server at that time, this alert is displayed: Unknown Accessory Detected. This alert will display only if a set of AirPods or a Find My network accessory is detected near you, not an AirTag. These could be borrowed AirPods, or AirPods inadvertently left behind by a friend or family member. 

Find the unknown AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory

If you get an alert that an AirTag, AirPods, or another Find My network accessory is traveling with you, follow these steps to find it. First, check on the Find My app if you're able to play a sound on the unknown accessory:

1. Tap the alert.
2. Tap Continue and then tap Play Sound.
3. Listen for the sound. You can play it again if you need more time to find the item.

If the option to play a sound isn't available, the item might not be with you anymore. Or if it was with you overnight, its identifier might have changed. Find My uses the identifier to determine that it's the same item moving with you. If the item is within range of its owner, you also won't be able to play a sound.

If the unknown accessory is an AirTag and you have a supported iPhone model with Ultra Wideband, you can also tap Find Nearby to use Precision Finding to help you locate the unknown AirTag.

1. Tap the alert.
2. Tap Continue, then tap Find Nearby.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions and move around the space until your iPhone connects to the unknown AirTag.
4. Your iPhone displays the distance and direction to the unknown AirTag. Use that information to get closer to the unknown AirTag until you find it.

• When the AirTag is within Bluetooth range of your iPhone, you can play a sound on the AirTag by tapping the Play Sound button .
• If your iPhone says that more light is required, tap the Turn Flashlight On button .

1. When you're done, tap the Done button .

If the option to play a sound isn't available or you're unable to hear the sound, or if you can't locate the item with Precision Finding, and you believe the item is still with you, look through your belongings to try to find it. Check on your person, or in anything in your possession that could contain this device. It could be in an item that you don’t check often, like a jacket pocket, the outer compartment of a bag, or your vehicle. If you can't find the device and if you feel your safety is at risk, go to a safe public location and contact law enforcement.

If you hear an AirTag emitting a sound

To alert people nearby, any AirTag separated for a period of time from its owner will emit a sound when it's moved. If you find an AirTag after hearing it make a sound, you can use any device that has NFC, such as an iPhone or Android phone, to see if its owner marked it as lost and if you can help return it. If you feel that this AirTag or Find My network accessory might be tracking people without their consent, you can get instructions on how to disable it. 

Get information about or disable an AirTag, Find My network accessory, or set of AirPods

If you have found an unknown AirTag, you can follow these steps to see information about it, or to disable it: 

1. If you have found an AirTag, hold the top of your iPhone or NFC-capable smartphone near the white side of the AirTag until a notification appears.
2. Tap the notification. This opens a website that provides information about the AirTag, including its serial number and the last four digits of the phone number of the person who registered it. This can help you identify the owner, if you know them. You might want to take a screenshot to make sure that you can document the information.
3. If the owner marked the AirTag as lost, you might see a message with information about how to contact the owner.

To learn more about a set of AirPods, or Find My network accessory that’s been separated from its owner, scroll to the bottom of the Items tab, then tap Identify Found Item.

If you need to see a list of all AirTag and Find My Network accessories about which you have been notified, launch the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Tap Items. Scroll to the bottom and tap Items Detected With You. Items that have recently triggered an unwanted tracking alert will be listed. If the option to play a sound isn't available, the item might not be with you anymore, might be near its owner, or if it was with you overnight, its identifier might have changed.

To disable the AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory and stop it from sharing its location, tap Instructions to Disable and follow the onscreen steps. After the AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory is disabled, the owner can no longer get updates on its current location. You will also no longer receive any unwanted tracking alerts for this item.

If you feel your safety is at risk, contact your local law enforcement, who can work with Apple to request information related to the item. You might need to provide the AirTag, AirPods, Find My network accessory, and the device's serial number.

Disabling the Find My network on your device, turning off Bluetooth, or turning off Location Services on your iPhone will not prevent the owner of the AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory from being able to see the location of that AirTag or accessory. You must disable the item by following the instructions above.

Check for nearby AirTag or Find My network accessories with an Android device

If you use an Android device, you can download the Tracker Detect app from the Google Play Store. Tracker Detect looks for item trackers within Bluetooth range that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with Apple's Find My network. These include AirTag and compatible item trackers that use the Find My network. If you think someone is using an AirTag or another item tracker to track your location, you can scan to try to find it. If the app detects an AirTag or compatible item tracker near you for at least 10 minutes, you can play a sound to help find it.

Go to Google Play to download the Tracker Detect app

Additional resources

If you feel that your safety is at risk, these additional resources might be helpful:

• In the United States: The Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Center for Victims of Crime
• In the United Kingdom: Refuge UK
• In Australia: WESNET Safety Net Australia"

We hope this helps.

Cheers!