iOS Do you use Apple AirTag? If yes, what is your use case?

[raksrules]

Do you use Apple AirTag? If yes, what is your use case?

 

[Pat]

Currently only using with a bunch of keys. Have some other use cases but haven't had time to try yet.

 

[delhiboy1]

I have put it in my kids' school bag. Can also be placed in your vehicle for tracking.
Vijay Sales has it a bit cheaper- buy the 3-pack if you are planning.

Not the best solution, not the worst.

 

[Pat]

It is nearly out of stock everywhere. Very difficult to get the 4 pack. I luckily found a good deal on imaginestore online few weeks ago.

 

[blr_p]

Didn't realise Samsung has something similar too. They go for close to 2k on Amazon per piece. No multiple packs on offer.

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The updated smart tag+ isn't available locally yet

 

[nitin_g3]

Can also be placed in your vehicle for tracking.

For security purpose? What is the maximum range here?

 

[D C]

Do you use Apple AirTag? If yes, what is your use case?

I am thinking of using it as a cheap car tracker. GPS ones are obviously better, but they need a sim and subscription and wiring stuff.

For security purpose? What is the maximum range here?

There is no 'range' per se.
It depends on being close to an another apple device, which then reports it location to apple.
It has no GPS, it's just a bluetooth beacon.
Nearby apple devices can detect the beacon and use their own current location to give an estimated location for the airtag.
If there are no apple devices nearby, you wont get any location updates.
The UWB chip is for the owner to find the tag when in close range.

 

[raksrules]

Problem with using airtag as vehicle tracker is that it will alert the drivers if the air tag is away from any other apple device under same account. It beeps too.
In fact I read / saw youtube videos about people removing speaker to avoid the beeps.

 

[Pat]

I have done a bit of research on this. Apple has made certain changes in Airtags to discourage people from using it as a location tracker. It was meant to be used only for finding your personal items. Indirectly, though, location tracking still works even though it is not perfect. An Airtag publishes its location if it finds an iPhone/iOS nearby belonging to anyone. So in order to use it as a tracker, it will give you the exact location only if there is an iPhone nearby belonging to anyone.

Regarding Vehicle tracking, it will not work very well for two reasons -
1. If a person (who is not the owner of the Airtag) is the vehicle and has an iPhone, then after a while it will alert them on their phone that an unknown Airtag is found nearby
2. If a person in the vehicle uses Android, he does not get any alerts but also cannot publish/update Airtags location.

For vehicle tracking, it is much better to get something like OneLap Go or OBD based location trackers.

 

[superczar]

I have 6 of these tags for various keys, wallet, headphones etc.
I also use them while travelling to tag my baggage by leaving one inside. Works pretty well as all it needs is any iPhone in the vicinity for a quick moment to ping its servers So any phone passing by is enough.
I have a couple of Samsung trackers too . They work fine for finding keys but baggage tracking does not work as well.

For lost vehicle tracking, it will work for the Same reason except 1 scenario.
Alerts come on the phone if the phone that reported its last location repeatedly remains in its vicinity. e.g. I normally wont get an alert for my wife’s car keys but on the days I take her car, i do get an alert for an AirTag not belonging to me being in my vicinity.

So in a hypothetical scenario where the thief has an iphone, he/she willl get alerted to the presence. If the thief has an android, your intended use case will still work.

 

[raksrules]

I have 6 of these tags for various keys, wallet, headphones etc.
I also use them while travelling to tag my baggage by leaving one inside. Works pretty well as all it needs is any iPhone in the vicinity for a quick moment to ping its servers So any phone passing by is enough.
I have a couple of Samsung trackers too . They work fine for finding keys but baggage tracking does not work as well.

For lost vehicle tracking, it will work for the Same reason except 1 scenario.
Alerts come on the phone if the phone that reported its last location repeatedly remains in its vicinity. e.g. I normally wont get an alert for my wife’s car keys but on the days I take her car, i do get an alert for an AirTag not belonging to me being in my vicinity.

So in a hypothetical scenario where the thief has an iphone, he/she willl get alerted to the presence. If the thief has an android, your intended use case will still work.

If mine and my wife's iPhone are on same apple id and say I keep an air tag in car, Ideally, none of us will receive an alert than an airtag not belonging to me is found in vicinity. Right?

 

[superczar]

If mine and my wife's iPhone are on same apple id and say I keep an air tag in car, Ideally, none of us will receive an alert than an airtag not belonging to me is found in vicinity. Right?

correct.
You will normally not be notified of presence of an airtag that belongs to you unless you are looking for it or have marked it as lost.

On a side , and completely unrelated note, why keep both devices on same ID.
Use individual IDs and add to a single family to share purchases etc.

 

[raksrules]

correct.
You will normally not be notified of presence of an airtag that belongs to you unless you are looking for it or have marked it as lost.

On a side , and completely unrelated note, why keep both devices on same ID.
Use individual IDs and add to a single family to share purchases etc.

Well, I had never thought about that and always continued with same apple id. I am not sure how the family sharing works but we need photo stream to work in both of our devices + iPad (which is also on same apple id), notes should be in sync as well and iCloud drive too.

 

[superczar]

Well, I had never thought about that and always continued with same apple id. I am not sure how the family sharing works but we need photo stream to work in both of our devices + iPad (which is also on same apple id), notes should be in sync as well and iCloud drive too.

with single ID, there is zero separation.
It will get very messy very fast esp when you start synchronizing with your laptop desktop/documents folder as well.

With separate IDs , you can choose what you want to keep shared and what you don't

 

[blr_p]

There is no 'range' per se.
It depends on being close to an another apple device, which then reports it location to apple.
It has no GPS, it's just a bluetooth beacon.
Nearby apple devices can detect the beacon and use their own current location to give an estimated location for the airtag.
If there are no apple devices nearby, you wont get any location updates.
The UWB chip is for the owner to find the tag when in close range.

This needs to be kept in mind depending on the market. In the west, there are many iPhones. Fewer in India.

As a network, Apple will have fewer updates compared to Samsung.

I'd imagine in major metros Air tags could be workable. Move to tier 2 and beyond the picture will be different.

The one advantage air tags have is they have a range and direction finder. How far away and what direction to go which isn't there on Samsung (on the regular, plus has it but requires UWB in the phone which only a handful of devices have and all are top end, not to mention these 'plus' tags cost a fortune presently)

I really hate how both companies require their phone to use and if you don't then you can't use either product.