are AirTags any good?

Posted 24th Apr 2023

hi guys after having a bike stolen recently im looking at a small tracker and don't want to buy anything with subscription, a friend has suggested buying apple AirTags?
are they any use and reliable and does anyone know any deals on them?

13 Comments

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glenandem Author
24th Apr
Thanks guys its only an Apple phone I use that’s why I was looking at air tags and as long as it was able to track it would be well hidden deep in the bike and I’d certainly be going after it with a gang of mates as the police are a waste of time.
I’m just confused now as I don’t want something that notifies the thief if he has an iPhone everytime I track it as it’s pointless then!!
Helpful567
24th Apr
wired.com/sto…gs/

The wired.com website gives advice on airtag tracking.

It seems that you have up to 24 hours before a thief with an iphone would know if there is an airtag in your bike.

This will probably give you time to track the stolen bike before the thief is aware of the airtag

Wired.com says:
The type of smartphone you own affects how easily you can discover hidden AirTags. Owners of iPhones running iOS 14.5 or newer should receive a push alert whenever an unknown AirTag is nearby for an extended period of time and away from its owner. Apple’s website does not provide an exact time frame for when this alert is triggered.

Owners of newer iPhones should turn on Bluetooth and check their settings to ensure they’ll receive notifications. Under Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and toggle Location Services on. Scroll to the bottom of that page, tap on System Services, and activate Find My iPhone. Also, search for the Find My app, visit Me in the bottom right corner, then tap Customize Tracking Notifications to double-check that notifications are enabled.
samtman
24th Apr
Not much use for what you want. The thief will get a message saying there is an AirTag following them sent to their phone. So they will know bout the tracker and can easily remove it. It’s to stop stalkers but not much use for people wanting to use as trackers on their possessions.
glenandem Author
24th Apr
thats stupid isn't it, I can understand stalking etc but that makes them useless surely for anything other than things like luggage!!
I was literally going to buy 4 and hadn't read anything on the thief receiving a message too if they have an iPhone!!
aLV426
24th Apr
Even if you ignore the broadcasting and the fact that they can be easily removed - what are you going to do with the tracking info? The police won't help, you can't go all "vigilante" (as then you become a criminal under UK law!) I would spend the money on a better lock and insuring (no pun intended) it's secured in a less "thief desirable" location.

I have been the victim of many thefts and the only one the police helped me with was the car - that was only because it was used in an armed robbery and of course it was registered to me. The fun thing is they located it (strangely not burnt out!) and directed me to collect it. This may not sound strange until you realise it was Northern Ireland and they suspected the car might have been "booby trapped"!
flang
24th Apr
Samsung tags are another option (if you have a Samsung device) and the networks bigger than apples so technically easier to find your device.

Samsung also has a similar feature to apple to stop stalkers but as far as iam aware its a manual process unlike apples.

I've hidden my tags in all sorta places and gives me a little piece of mind that my item might be recovered. (edited)
harrythefish
25th Apr
I bought a pack of Airtags and put one registered to my phone into the Mrs rucksack (with her knowledge) on the basis that if she loses the rucksack with her iPhone in it, it'll be quicker to track using my phone. We found out it takes something like 10 hours for a warning she's being tracked pops up on her phone, and that's because the rucksack is following her. A miscreant could however use an iPhone or the Android app to scan for nearby Airtags.

Airtags have the widest trackability and apparently, longest low energy Bluetooth range of all the systems. They are great for tracking your luggage on flights. For an expensive bike, I'd still consider using one at £30 a pop. The thief won't want to be seen hunting for the airtag in public so you get a head start. Don't hide it too deep inside the metalwork as it may not work.
glenandem Author
25th Apr
perfect thanks mate, im gonna buy a packet of 4 and remove the speakers and then hide them well on the bike cars and van too.
im happy that I could get 12-24 hours to track them before they possibly get notified, they'll still have to find the things too!!
mrcoxexcel
26th Apr
Have a look at Eufy's Smart track link. Works like Airtag but, I believe, without the alert to the thief's 'phone. It works on the Apple “find my” system so you need an iPhone - seems pretty good to me.
glenandem Author
26th Apr
That’s interesting I’ll have a look at those now and being able to use find my iPhone is a bonus too!
glenandem Author
24th Apr
Great I suppose as long as I accept I’m gonna get a good few hours before the thief gets notified and I can remove the speaker no problem I should be good but I’d put it somewhere really difficult to get to as well!