kyle76 wrote:
Airtag gets such good reviews on Amazon, so it has to be the case that I'm doing something wrong.
I assure you that is not the case. You need to be cautious about reviews provided on sites like Amazon ... or any commerce site. They are known to be not 100% accurate and can also be automated by bots.
Not saying that an Apple AirTag is problematic, but it is important to understand how they are designed to work, and their limitations.
First off, an Apple AirTag is not designed to be a tracking device. Whether that is for pets or people.
Second, the AirTag relies on Bluetooth to send its location information to the Apple servers. This is where you would "see" it in the Find My app on your iPhone.
Third, in order for that information to make it to those servers, it first has to be "picked up" by an iPhone that is within 30-40' of it. That phone also must be participating in the "Find My Network" and have either a cellular or wireless connection to the Internet.
Fourth, the AirTag sends that signal approximately every 5-10 mins. Think of it as sort of a beacon. That means any iPhone near by would have to be there when the signal is sent. That is not always possible.
Finally, not sure why you got the advice to update its firmware, as that will not resolve this issue.
The bottom line is that an Apple AirTag is NOT designed for tracking. Based on what I have provided you, you should now see why it is poor design for keeping track of your pets. If that is your goal, you need to consider getting a dedicated tracking device that relies on GPS, not Bluetooth, to send it location information.
