You can use Apple’s AirTags to track items almost anywhere, leveraging the network of nearly one billion iOS devices around the world. You can track your keys and luggage, your musical instruments and your tools, or even your bicycle or skateboard.
And if you need to locate an item, you can use the Find My app to zero in on them; as you get close to them, if you have an iPhone 11 or later, you can get precise directions until you find your lost item.
Here’s the complete and definitive guide to everything you can do with AirTags, and everything else you may want to know about them—with links to other articles we’ve published that go into more detail.
AirTags are easy to set up. Unpack an AirTag, remove the battery tab, and hold it near your iPhone. A card pops up offering to connect to the device. Follow the instructions, name the AirTag, and you’re set. You can get a number of different AirTag holders, such as the one above, to attach them to keys and other items.
You can use the Find My app on your iPhone (or even Siri) to locate AirTagged items, and get directions as you get closer, with an iPhone 11 or later.
Read Hands On with Apple’s AirTags: Find Lost Keys, Bags, and More for more information about setting up and using AirTags.
Hands On with Apple’s AirTags: Find Lost Keys, Bags, and More
Starting with iOS 17, you can share AirTags. This means that two or more people can view and track an AirTag in the Find My app. When an AirTag is shared, the people sharing it will not get alerts when the AirTag is near them.
To share an AirTag, select it in the Find My app, then tap Share this AirTag. Tap Add Person to choose someone to share the AirTag with. All people sharing an AirTag have to be using iOS 17 or later on their iPhones.
Since iOS 18, you can also share an AirTag temporarily with an airline if your luggage is missing, or with any trusted person for a limited time. To do this, select the AirTag in the Find My app, then tap Share Item Location. A screen displays; tap Continue and follow the instructions.
Aside from the obvious things – keys, a purse, a backpack, etc. – AirTags can be used to track some less common items. You could stick one under your bicycle seat; you could put one in a musical instrument case; you could even tape one to a remote that you misplace often (though that’s a bit clunky).
Read 24 Things You Can Track with Apple’s AirTags for more ideas how to use AirTags.
One of the most common uses for AirTags will probably be to find your keys. Most people misplace their keys from time to time, and this can be quite stressful, if you think you’ve lost them. You’ll be able to use the Find My app (or ask Siri) to see if you left your keys in the office, in the car, or at a friend’s house.
AirTags leverage the huge network of iOS devices around the world. We did a test to see how well we could track an AirTag by mailing one. We found that there are enough postal employees with iPhones to keep tabs on the AirTag across a 150-mile trip in the UK, from pickup at a mailbox to delivery.
Read I Mailed an AirTag and Tracked Its Progress; Here’s What Happened.
I Mailed an AirTag and Tracked Its Progress; Here’s What Happened
If you’ve lost an item with an AirTag, and haven’t found it, you can go to the Find My app and tell the AirTag to share contact information if someone finds it. If they hold an iPhone near an AirTag, they’ll get some information about the owner so they can get in touch with you.
Some AirTags will be used in harsh conditions. If you want to keep one in your gym bag, and put it in the trunk of your car, it could get very cold in winter and very hot in summer. You may forget one in a pocket and put it in the wash. If you have one attached to your keys, it’ll get scratched. And you may drop an AirTag from time to time.
We stress-tested Air Tags, subjecting them to heat and cold, put one in a washing machine and dryer, and took one and ran over it with a car, then stepped on it on a gravel surface. They all came out fine, though the latter one (see the photo above) is a bit worse for wear.
Read How Tough are AirTags? We Froze, Washed and Dried, Ran Over, and Put Them in the Hot Sun to find out how robust they are.
How Tough are AirTags? We Froze, Washed and Dried, Ran Over, and Put Them in the Hot Sun
Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast, Intego’s Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, including security and privacy stories, and offer practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices—and we often cover AirTags. Be sure to follow the podcast to make sure you don’t miss any episodes!
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