Apple revealed its long-awaited AirTag in April 2021 after years of rumors and speculation. AirTag, the best Apple accessory, is Designed to attach to items such as keys and wallets to allow these accessories to be tracked via Bluetooth with Apple devices in the Find My app.
AirTags use ultra-wideband technology and Apple’s existing network of devices to help you find lost or stolen items. Here’s what you need to know before attaching them to anything you own. We’re going to see it!
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AirTag Basics
A single AirTag costs 39 dollars, but a pack of four AirTags can be purchased from the Apple Store for 129 dollars. To this price we would have to add the cost of the accessory to place it, such as a key ring, pendant or similar.
The AirTag is a small, button-shaped tracking device with a glossy white front that can be personalized with engraving and a silver back. AirTags are designed around CR2032 batteries which are inside. It measures 3.19 centimeters and has a thickness of 0.8 centimeters and a weight of 11 grams.
This replaceable CR2032 battery It is designed to last about a year before needing replacement. Batteries are user replaceable and to change a battery you can press and twist the back panel of the AirTag to remove it. If your AirTag’s battery life is low, you will receive a notification that the battery needs to be replaced.
As I said, each AirTag can be engraved with up to four letters or emoji characters, although there are some restrictions on multiple emojis due to size limitations. There are also limitations on certain phrases or icons.
AirTag features
AirTags are added and managed in the Search app under the “Items” tab. Like other Apple devices, each AirTag is displayed on a map in the Find My app so you can see its location. AirTags connect to your iOS and macOS devices via Bluetooth.
Apple added a U1 chip to each AirTag so you can see its precise location indoors or outdoors if it’s nearby, or its last known location if it’s not. There are built-in speakers to play a sound to find a lost AirTag around the house, and you can play a sound through the Find My app or ask Siri to search for an AirTag with a sound.
If an AirTag is lost or stolen, the Find My network can help you find it. Find My Network Powers Hundreds of Millions of iPhone DevicesiPad and Mac to help you locate an AirTag, and the AirTag appears on a map when it’s next to someone else’s device.
In Lost Mode, an AirTag will automatically send a notification when someone on the Find My network detects it, and you can add your contact information so someone who finds your item can contact you.
Apple may regularly update the firmware of AirTags and has done so several times since the launch of AirTags.
The great precision of AirTags
iPhones with a U1 chip can take advantage of Precision Finding, a feature that lets you see specific instructions on how to find your lost AirTag. Precise Discovery combines augmented reality, sound and haptic feedback to help you. U1 chips are included in iPhone 11 and later.
Additionally, if you encounter a lost AirTag or someone finds your lost AirTag, it can be scanned with any NFC-equipped smartphone to obtain contact information.
It works on iPhones and Android devices, so if you find one, run a scan to locate the owner.. If in lost mode, the AirTag will also broadcast its location to the owner via the Find My network.
Over time, Apple has added separation alerts to the Find My app, designed to notify you if you leave behind an Apple device, an AirTag-connected device, or a third-party device enabled with Find My.
You can set up separation alerts in the Find My app, so if you want to make sure your iPhone is always with you or that you don’t leave the house without your keys, this is the feature to use.
AirTags and water resistance
The AirTag has an IP67 water and dust resistance rating, which means it can withstand submersion in water up to one meter for 30 minutes. This means that the AirTag will hold up well to exposure to liquids from rain or accidental spills.
On the other hand, like AirPods, setting up an AirTag can be done with a simple gesture after unboxing it and can be personalized with a name.
Each Apple ID can be associated with up to 16 AirTags, so you can track 16 items at a time.
Each of these AirTags that you have is linked to your Apple ID and no one else can track it. Location data and location history are not stored on the AirTag, and devices transmitting the location of a lost AirTag remain anonymous and location data is encrypted every step of the way.
You can see where your lost AirTag is on a map if it’s recovered by someone else’s device, but you won’t know the identity of the person who helped you find it. Apple also doesn’t see where the AirTags are due to end-to-end encryption.
AirTags have unique Bluetooth IDs that change frequently, a feature that ensures you’re never tracked from one location to another.
AirTag privacy limits
Apple has built-in security restrictions designed to prevent an AirTag from being used for unwanted and covert tracking purposes.
If an AirTag belonging to someone else is in your belongings and traveling with you for a while, your iPhone will send you an alert that an AirTag is detected near you, preventing someone from getting to you track with a hidden AirTag.
When this happens, you will see a notification saying “AirTag detected”, which you can tap to turn off the AirTag. If your AirTag is next to something you’ve borrowed, such as keys, you can choose to turn off “AirTag detected” notifications for a day. If it’s an item owned by a member of your family, you can turn off security alerts for members of your Family Sharing group.
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