Airtag not updating location

My sister (has an iPhone with wifi and Bluetooth on, and find my network too) and has my keys with an AirTag but the location doesn’t update. What’s happening?? It has more than 10 hours without updating

what’s the point of the airtag if i have to be close to it to know it’s location? i bought the **** thing to know where things are when i’m NOT right next to them.

But you see, Apple advertised the AirTag as a device that can update its location periodically thru other Apple devices nearby. My generous expectation is at least once every 10 or so minutes in a busy international airport, yet it could take hours to update itself. That means if someone stole my wallet I would not be able to locate it in a reasonable time. If that’s not called false advertising I don’t know what to say to you.

I found that AirTag did not update the location information as mentioned.

When I am walking in the night market where are about 200 people around and for sure there are people using iPhone and my wife is also using an iPhone with find my network enabled, and the airtag is in the beg with her.

At some point she walked far away from me, and I try to locate her with Airtag, and the airtag did not update location for about 30 min time.

This situation doesn't seems to match the explanation given above?

Same. I bought two. One for my husband car incase it’s stolen and one for my son when he’s at school. I wasn’t $40+. 14 days without the AirTag being updated. It does not show accurate locations or the AirTag ever moving. It’s a complete waste of money.

My wife has a 'car keys' Airtag shared with me that I personally set up for her and tested. I can see her phone (her location at work) and the air tag is on her keys in her purse next to the iPhone 14+ with latest OS. I am on iPhone 13 Pro Max, latest iOS. Soooooo. Apple what is the problem? Are you listening? What is your resolution.

I feel like AirTags are 1000% false advertising. I’ve even seen commercials where they show you can see the AirTag moving. Totally be. I’m at the point where I’m gonna sell all my Apple stuff and go back to Samsung.

Wondering if a lot of people on this thread bought these new. I’ve been using this service since early last year and they were working fine. Leave one in each of my kids bags, drop off to school, notified left behind, location updates in find my app, and from home could get semi regular location info even seeing them move when coming home on the bus. Since I want to say Nov/Dec 2023 the behaviour has changed. They are not updating location for days or more at a time. I can literally drop the kids off and the tags will notify left behind but still show as being at home. This should not be how they work and understand why people are questioning apple products.

I don’t think you understand the issue. The AirTags no longer update for many even close to range of others with find my iPhone network. Example mine won’t update unless I’m close to it, I share the location of the AirTag with my wife, her AirTag location screen won’t update even though it’s updating on my screen. It’s like the find my iPhone network isn’t broadcasting when it senses an AirTag. Then randomly it will update. I’m thinking maybe people work older iOS are still broadcasting while anyone upgraded is not. Seems everyone is having this problem and are just stopping using their AirTags.

I have the same issue. Air tag only updates if I’m near by. When I give it to me daughter who does NOT have a phone yet - it does not update the location when going out. How do we fix this?

I have the same problem. I used airtags (I have 8) in the last 2 years without problem, now it seems not working. When one of my devices is close to the AirTag, it updates the position, when I am far, and I am sure there is an apple device close to the airtag (my brother's iPhone), it doesn't update the position.

The scheme should be this:

1. airtag (that is paired to my iPhone, or better, to my Apple ID) uses any apple device with active bluetooth connection to "send" his position
2. apple system should forward this position to my iCloud
3. my device(s) should sincronize the position from iCloud

It seems that the point 2. is working ONLY if there is close to the AirTag one of the devices of the SAME Apple ID, and so syncronized using the same iCloud ID.

Actually this is exactly what Apple says on their website.

Get by with a  little help from  hundreds of millions of friends.

When youʼve left something far behind, like at the beach or the gym, the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world — helps track down your AirTag. And itʼs designed to protect your privacy every step of the way.

so although it is not meant specifically to track a person or pet it is specifically designed to track a lost inanimate object. It’s not a huge leap to go from missing cooler to missing dog at the beach.

I put one on my dog, fully knowing it was not gps and would not be 100% reliable. However, it would be better than nothing on the chance he did run off. But it has proved to be utterly useless. If my wife walks or takes him somewhere, I can see her exact location but my dogs AirTag is maybe 20 miles away and not updating. Now let’s assume she took my car keys and not my dog it would be the same situation.

Same with mine I have one on my car in case it gets stolen and it only works when I’m maybe in the same parking lot or a mile or so away. My

mum borrow my car and she went maybe 15 or 20 miles away and I cannot track it, it won’t update.

Apple just pulled my post from months ago - it stated this is a known issue and what resolution would they propose. So if this doesn't tell you Apple is off their game, I don't know what will. For the record... Apple products user since 1982.

iOS17.4 is still not working properly as Finder Device. This is a serious issue that has to be fixed ASAP. The Find My Network is slowly dying. All AirTags will become useless in a matter of a few more months.

Here is an easy way to get proof of it: view post at Macrumors forum