Airtags - useful for other than luggage?

Car collectors use Airtags like crazy when shipping cars, because apparently it's quite common for transporters to lose cars or allow them to be stolen. But thieves are hip to this now and use gadgets to search their targets for Airtags.

Other thieves find a car they'd like to steal, put their OWN Airtag in it and snatch it when the coast is clear.

You can also buy special collars to put an Airtag on Fido or Fluffy.

Another use for Airtags is while you're sightseeing, at the end of the day you pull up your Airtag location which is in your hotel and get a route straight back.

If you have an Android phone, airtags won't be any use for you to track your belongings, or car. You need something compatible, like Tile or Samsung Smart Tags.

Not my personal experience but at Wellington Airport (NZ) they may be taking AirTags out of luggage because of the battery:

https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/airtags-will-be-useless-if-airport-security-keeps-doing-this-20250903-p5ms7n.html

Just a heads up for all those people who have never encountered this.

Lavandula

I use Apple AirTags:
on my dog's collar
in my car to help find it in a large parking lot
on my car keys and the TV remote because I forget where I leave them in the house
on my grandkid while at the stadium or a amusement park
in grandkids' school backpacks

Like stan, I have an AirTag on my car keys, and in my car. When i was in London recently with two grandchildren, I gave the youngest (who did not have a phone) an AirTag to keep in her waist belt.

Put them on anything that you can't afford to lose but often do. :-)

Skechers is currently advertising a kids’ sneaker designed with a space under and inside the heel that will safely hold an AirTag and not bother the wearer. It is being sold with the ad campaign of “Know where your sneakers are”, while not using “track your kid”, and notes that they do not supply the AirTag

My elderly Dad has begun carrying the Samsung SmartTag with him, apparently I'm case he doesn't have his phone, which I could just as easily find.

I tried one on my dog's collar, but there weren't enough Android phones in the neighborhood to make it helpful if she really had been lost. Perhaps better than not having it.

Several years ago at the Peachtree Road race in Atlanta I lost both my drivers license and my car keys. (Considering I don’t have a garage I’m still shocked to this day that my car is in the parking lot) , so I now have an AirTag on my car keys.

I also have one on my passport case. I bought a passport case on Amazon that has an AirTag holder. I’m the kind of person who when you’re on the plane checks for your passport every few hours in this total panic and I just felt like it would calm me down and actually, it has so was worth it.

I don’t have one on my tablet because I can just activate find my tablet on my cell phone and it will make the tablet make noise and show me where it is

I tried attaching AirTags to my commonsense and alas I still lost both!

We also got special ones for our dogs and our dogs are now using the technology against us to demand more dreambone rawhide free treats. How exactly is complicated but I know it involves AI, advanced algorithms and Eurailpasses — these are smart doodles indeed! They also found a way by using them to avoid ZTL tickets in Rome.

I am glad other folks (and my doodles) are finding good use for them.

Happy travels.

I had one in my purse on a RS tour (on the bus) and other tour mates were getting ding notifications that they were being tracked. They narrowed it down to me and my purse (lol). I was a little embarrassed and just pulled the battery out of mine to stop it from signaling others. I'm obviously no techie, so maybe it is just something with my settings. I use an iphone.

Lisusa, I had the same thing happen to me, and I never did find a way to just turn it off so I also took the battery out.

Haha Stan. :) Nice to know it wasn’t just me

Several months ago, one poster suggested putting one on her spouse who apparently had a habit of just wandering off. There is something to be said for having a way to know where one's spouse / partner / companion is. On the other hand, it might put a crimp in some shopping sprees.

I had one in my purse on a RS tour (on the bus) and other tour mates were getting ding notifications that they were being tracked.

I believe this is a safe guard because nefarious characters sometimes use Air Tags to stalk people. For example, secretly attaching an air tag onto your ex’s car or purse to track them. It lets people know there’s an air tag consistently in their vicinity. You’re right that there may be an iPhone setting to help with this, but not sure what that is, or which party would change the setting.

I put one in my car after a friend’s car went missing.
It keeps “pinging” as I’m driving through my neighbourhood….no idea why.
As my car is nearly 20, I don’t know why I’m worried about it being stolen! :)

We have collector cars. My daily driver truck always has an AirTag in it. The occasionally driven old cars have AirTags when driven.
But probably the best thief deterrent is manual stick shifts. Not many people under the age of 60 know how to drive them and almost no one knows how to drive a stick on the dash (1938 Studebaker). We don’t haul the cars but if we did, Phred’s AirTag idea is good.

When I travel, I have an AirTag in each bag: purse, day pack, personal item tote and suitcase.

almost no one knows how to drive a stick on the dash (1938 Studebaker).

Wow, does that bring back memories. Back in my day (early 70s) we called that '3 on the tree', to distinguish it from '4 on the floor'. Then my Dad's 5 speed truck took me a bit of getting used to. None of my kids and SILs can drive stick.

Sorry, that was off topic. Back to your regularly scheduled discussion.

Well, I’m not under the age of 60 but until eight years ago or so I drove manual transmissions all over Atlanta and I have in the past driven a stick shift on the column. I bet I could do it again.

I actually miss driving manual transmissions. I drove Saab convertibles for like 20 something years loved them, but General Motors managed to destroy that.

CJean, the 1960 Lark has 3 on the tree. The only drivable ‘38 (we have 3) literally has the stick shift coming out of the dash. Guess I shouldn’t say “we”; all the cars are hubby’s. Part of the reason he won’t travel besides no interest. He’d rather play with cars.

Lol Horsewoofie. We have a good friend who is like that. Bought a house based on the size of the multicar detached garage and workshop. His wife is a saint.

Off original topic, but…have owned nothing but sticks since 1979, my children all learned and have owned them, but my life partner of 3+ years won’t let me teach her, says teaching your spouse/girl friend to drive a stick is a sure way to break a relationship. This will make it hard, or more expensive, .for a planned Italy car trip next spring.

PS, had a 10 year old stick stolen 20 years ago, with two booster seats in it. I suspect it was a street order for parts.