It’s been over a year since AirTags were officially released, and by now, plenty of us have them and use them on a regular basis. And if you’re like most people, you probably just use your AirTags to keep track of your keys or bag. Well, I wanted to know if there were some more interesting uses for AirTags.
And, what do you know, there are some really creative uses for AirTags! While all of the use cases I cam across still involves finding misplaced items, there were items (and people!) that I hadn’t thought to use my AirTags for.
So if you have an AirTag or two and are thinking about getting more, we’re going to be covering some exciting ways for you to start using them!
Before we get into the uses for AirTags, though, I wanted to briefly recap on what AirTags are. While a lot of Apple fans are likely familiar with AirTags, they’re still a relatively niche offering from Apple.
For those that aren’t aware of AirTags, they’re small, white discs that can be used to locate lost items. Say, for instance, that you clipped one to your car keys. Then, a few days later, you look on the shelf where you normally place your car keys and notice they aren’t there.
You could start tearing your house apart trying to find your keys, or you could just use your AirTag. Open the Find My app on your iPhone, play a sound on your keys’s AirTag, and use the map in Find My to figure out where you left your keys. They could be in the couch cushion or abandoned on the last train your rode. Either way, you’ll be able to locate them with the AirTag and Find My.
This is made possible by a few technologies working together. The first is Bluetooth. AirTags have Bluetooth built-in, so whenever you’re close to an AirTag that you own, you can play sounds on it and view it on a map.
Additionally, if other iPhone users are near your AirTag, their iPhone will update the location of your AirTag for you. That way, you can find your AirTag (and the item they’re connected to) even if it’s far away.
The next interesting piece of technology in AirTags is the U1 chip. This chip gives you a very precise location for your devices, so long as you’re very near them. You will need to be using an iPhone 11 or later. If you are, though, you can get step-by-step directions to where your lost item is located.
For instance, the Find My app will tell you that your keys are 14 feet away and to your left. It’s that precise!
9 uses for AirTags
I have no doubt that you’re already thinking of several ways that you could use AirTags to keep track of your items. You can attach them to specific devices using glue, tape, or accessories, or you can drop them in pockets, bags, and so on.
To help give you some ideas for uses for AirTags, we’ve curated a list of some popular and unconventional ways to use AirTags.
Keeping track of your keys and purse
Kicking off our list is perhaps one of the most common uses for AirTags, which is locating your keys and/or purse. Using AirTags to locate your purse or backpack is super easy. Just drop your AirTag into the bag, register it with your Find My app, and that’s it! If you lose your bag, you’ll be able to find it with the Find My app on your iPhone.
I would recommend putting the AirTag somewhere discreet in your bag, like a pocket or zippered pouch. That way, if someone steals your bag, they won’t immediately find the AirTag and throw it away.
Then, of course, you can use your AirTags with your keys. You will need an accessory for this, though, as the AirTags can’t attach to your keys without one. Fortunately, these accessories are easy to come by. I was able to purchase a keyring accessory for my AirTags right from the Apple Store.
This definitely isn’t the most creative use for AirTags, but it’s perhaps the simplest and best. If you aren’t already using AirTags to keep up with your bags and keys, definitely start doing it!
Tracking your pet’s location is one of the best uses for AirTags
A less orthodox suggestion on our list of uses for AirTags is to use them to track your pet’s location. You can do this using the same keyring AirTags accessories that we just mentioned. Grab one of these accessories and attach the AirTag to your pet’s collar. And that’s it! You’ll now be able to keep up with their location.
Officially, Apple doesn’t recommend you do this. However, it’s not because AirTags are dangerous for your pets or anything like that. Most likely, it’s because AirTags aren’t designed for tracking pets, so Apple doesn’t want to recommend it and then be liable when it doesn’t work.
But for the most part, this is a pretty workable idea. There are cellularly connected pet trackers out there that will give you exact GPS coordinates on your pet 24/7. These can be pretty expensive, though, and usually come with monthly fees.
AirTags, on the other hand, are just $29. It’ll work best for finding pets when they’re lost in populated areas. If your pet runs off into the woods, then your AirTag is probably going to wind up being useless to find them. But if they get lost in a neighborhood where people walk around and may find your pet, your neighbors iPhones should give you a good idea of where your pet has run off to.
Just know that this isn’t a foolproof solution. You should still get your pet microchipped, keep them on a leash, and if you’re seriously worried about losing them, invest in a more expensive and reliable solution. For those that are on a budget, though, this is a pretty good workaround.
Never lose your luggage again
Another one of the great uses for AirTags is finding your luggage. Unfortunately, losing your luggage at the airport is a pretty common occurrence. It’s either placed on the wrong plane, never leaves your starting airport, is picked up by the wrong person (accidentally or maliciously), or simply forgotten by you.
In any of these mixups, an AirTag can be a huge help. That’s because airports are, by nature, crowded locations. So you’re pretty much guaranteed to find your luggage thanks to the number of iPhones that are going to be near it.
Whether you travel a lot or are just going on a vacation, this can be a great way to ensure that you don’t lose your luggage. And because suitcases are generally large, it’s pretty easy to hide an AirTag inside them. So even if someone does intentionally steal your luggage, they probably won’t find the AirTag for quite a while if you hide it well enough.
Always know where lifesaving items are
Next up on our list of uses for AirTags is tracking your lifesaving items. I’m talking about items like EpiPens, fire extinguishers – anything that, if lost, could lead to dire consequences.
You can attach your AirTags to items like this by gluing or taping the AirTags to them. Or, you could buy a case for these items and place the AirTag in the case. When it comes to EpiPens, for example, it’s not hard to find a case that has plenty of room in it.
This is especially useful when the lifesaving item is needed by a child. Because let’s be honest, most kids aren’t responsible enough to keep track of these items on their own. Having an AirTag attached to the item will ensure that, in the event of an emergency, you can quickly find the item you’re looking for.
Keep your young children or aging loved ones close by
A similar suggestion in this list of uses for AirTags is to use AirTags to keep track of your children or loved ones. Of course, this will need to be done at your discretion. And if you don’t have custody over a person, you may want to think twice about using an AirTag for this purpose.
But in general, this isn’t a bad way to keep track of your loved ones. You can place an AirTag in a child’s backpack or lunchbox. That way, if they get lost, wander off, or, forbid it, are endangered, you can use the AirTag to quickly locate them.
And for elderly or mentally ill individuals, who may wander off or get lost due to their mental decline, you can use AirTags in a similar fashion. Placing them in a purse or attaching them to a necklace could help you find someone in an emergency.
It’s very important to note, though, that AirTags ARE NOT designed for this purpose. Do not count on this completely, and know that it might not work when it comes down to the wire. Use it as a cautionary method, not necessarily your entire safety plan.
Find your bike if it’s stolen
A less serious suggestion on our list of uses for AirTags is to attach an AirTag to your bicycle. This is helpful in the event that you misplace your bicycle, or in a less fortunate circumstance, have your bicycle stolen.
Anecdotally, I’ve heard stories of people recovering stolen bicycles in this way, so it can definitely be done. However, my impression is that having an AirTag attached to a bicycle isn’t necessarily enough to get police help in finding the lost bike. To be clear, that is just my impression – I am not familiar with the law in your area. But my understanding is that they won’t chase people down just because you have their AirTag location.
However, if someone steals your bike, you may be able to use an attached AirTag to relocate that bike, and when the culprit is no longer near the bike, you can essentially “steal” it back.
There are a few notes to go along with this:
Have some way of proving that the bike is yours. There are lots of ways to do this. Engrave your name in the bicycle using tools with a drilling tip or heating element, have the serial code stored somewhere, or hide a sticker/marking somewhere on the bike that proves it belongs to you.
Use proper locking techniques. Of course, the best way to solve a stolen bike issue is to avoid having it stolen in the first place. And the best way to do that is by using proper locking techniques. Don’t lock your bike to flimsy poles, don’t lock your bike by its tires, etc. You can look up proper locking techniques online. Additionally, use a high-quality lock.
Attach a motion-triggered alarm to your bike. These are surprisingly effective and affordable. You can grab some from Amazon or perhaps your local bike shop. Like your car alarm, you set it after parking and locking your bike. If anyone tries to jostle your bike around, the alarm will go off, which should be enough to scare the thief away in most cases.
In short, hiding an AirTag somewhere discreet on your bike (such as underneath the seat) can be helpful in recovering a lost or stolen bike. Just don’t use it as your only line of defense, and if you plan on getting law enforcement involved, make sure that you have proof the bike belongs to you.
Remember where you parked the car with one of the simplest uses for AirTags
This is a pretty simple suggestion. If you’re someone who is always forgetting where they parked, you can just toss an AirTag in your car. You should get a decent approximation of where you parked, and as you get closer, you’ll get even more detailed directions on how to find your car.
I would recommend placing the AirTag somewhere near the exterior of the car. A good spot may be the little compartments near the base of the doors of your car. A place I wouldn’t recommend is your glovebox, since that might limit the accuracy and signal strength of the AirTag.
And, I suppose on the off chance that someone steals your car, maybe this will help you find it!
Locate your missing Apple TV remote
A pretty clever suggestion on this list of uses for AirTags is to help you locate your missing Apple TV remote. If you’re like me (and I hope you’re not) then you haven’t been able to find your remote in months and have completely given up on finding it.
If you don’t want to end up like me, then definitely try this suggestion. You will need to purchase a special case from online, but luckily, they’re not too hard to find. Just Google “Apple TV remote AirTag case” and you should find plenty of options.
These cases slip around your Apple TV remote and leave room for you to pop in an AirTag.
Ideally, Apple would build some kind of AirTag-like tracking directly into the Apple TV remote, but since they haven’t yet, this is the best workaround we have!
Get notified if you leave something important behind
Last on our list of uses for AirTags is that you can use them to receive notifications whenever you leave something important behind. This is a built-in feature of AirTags, so you don’t have to do anything other than purchase and start using an AirTag.
Whenever you leave an AirTag behind in an area that isn’t your house, you’ll get a notification that you’ve left that item behind. So if you forget your wallet in a restaurant, your keys on the bus, or your Apple TV remote at a friend’s house, you’ll know within a few minutes of leaving the device behind.
As you might imagine, this is super handy and goes a long way towards ensuring you don’t end up losing your items for good. The sooner you realize you’ve lost something, the sooner you can get it back.
What are your favorite uses for AirTags?
And that’s it! Those are some of the best uses for AirTags that we’ve been able to come up with. But what about you? How has your time with AirTags been, and what ideas have you come up with after using them? Let us know in the comments below!
Write a Comment