How does the AirTag work?

Why use an AirTag when it only tells your luggage is no longer with you or last seen somewhere. I want to know where my luggage is not where I last saw it

I’m confused too

how can it track anything if it’s only within Bluetooth range

So you’re saying that for argument sake your tag is the other end of the country. As long as it’s in range of another iOS Bluetooth enabled device, it can hop from one device to another until it finds one connected to the cloud and then can notify you its location ?

Apple AirTags connect through Bluetooth to neighbouring Apple iPhone or iPad devices using the Find My network. All of the AirTags' specifics and data are uploaded to the cloud and pinned to a map for simple access. Two methods exist for locating your AirTags.

[Link Edited by Moderator]


it only works if it's within bluetooth range of an ios device with bluetooth enabled

when it is then it will have the ios device send it's gps position to the appleID account the tag is registered to because it will roughly be the gps position of the tag itself, being within bluetooth range and all

so if there are no ios devices within range the tag will be dead in the water so it's not suited for tracking pets in a rural arear

I want to track my luggage

So any time someone within 33 feet gets close to your luggage with an iphone then your luggage is trackable. Just think how many airport workers have an iphone. Airtags would be a solid solution for this. I have an airtag in one of my cars at home and it's location gets update when people are on the daily walks and my car is in the garage and they are walking on the sidewalk outside of the garage. Also I get location when my kid takes it to the grocery store or driving down the freeway next to other cars that have an iphone. it's very nice and working just like a gps tracker :)

Then you need to use a dedicated tracking device that relies on GPS, not Bluetooth, if you want to track your luggage.

Perhaps you might find this an interesting read:

Nobody in the entire chain knows who owns the tag, who is reporting the position, or what that reported position is.

ONLY your own trusted devices … running FindMy … have the key to decrypt your tag’s position.

Find My security – Apple Support (AU)

Using Find My to locate missing Apple devices – Apple Support (AU)

yashvi144 wrote:

Apple AirTags connect through Bluetooth to neighbouring Apple iPhone or iPad devices using the Find My network. All of the AirTags' specifics and data are uploaded to the cloud and pinned to a map for simple access. Two methods exist for locating your AirTags. If the information is sufficient for you, it's excellent, but if anyone wants to know more about it, you should visit the official website Deccanera.

That is not an official Apple website.

This is the official website:

AirTag - Apple

To clarify …

… if an Airtag is moving with a “non-affiliated” iPhone for a significant period of time AND the owner’s device is NOT nearby …

… the non-affiliated iPhone will receive an alert.

Simply being in the same room with a “non-affiliated” AirTag will not cause an iPhone alert.

thanks for repeating exactly what I just said.

Yes if her phone is near the bag, after a while(not sure how long) she would get an alert on her phone. That notification feature is part of apple's anti-stalking campaign probably required by the govnerment.

Why not? It’s not like your privacy is violated. If you really lack that sense of community, then just tirn off your Bluetooth. Otherwise, I am sure that you agreed to it in the small print of an end user license agreement

I do not want apple using my position and Bluetooth to sell airtags.