AirTag usage for keeping track of bag/iPad -- correct usage?

[msackey]

When AirTags first came out, it made sense to me what it could be used for and how it works. But with the anti-stalking features newly added, I no longer fully understand how AirTags now work. I am thinking of whether the following situation is an appropriate use, or perhaps put another way, a way to use it without the AirTag announcing itself. Thoughts? Comments?

In a few months, we will be travelling to Europe for just about 2 weeks. We'll be bringing along an iPad Pro which we intend to keep in the hotel we stay in. During the day when we are not in the hotel, the iPad will be placed inside a bag which we plan to have an AirTag in it. The bag will be padlocked. Unfortunately, the hotel does not offer safes.

Question: say if housekeeping comes into the room and the person has their own iPhone, will the AirTag start beeping after a while if the person is still in the room because of the anti-stalking feature? I wouldn't want that because I don't necessarily want to alert housekeeping that we have AirTags, which itself could signal "hey, there's something important here!" and which could even further incentivize them from searching/peeking.

My intention with that AirTag is specifically so that if the bag gets stolen, we may be able to trace it.

 

[Coffee50]

As far as I know, I don't think it will be an issue. If the AirTag is stationary, the housekeeper will be moving around. So the AirTag should never move and therefore shouldn't cause any issue.

My "luggage" AirTags stay at home, and I've had people at my place when I wasn't there and no one has ever mentioned beeping or being alerted. I'm wondering if the AirTag has to physically be moving at some point WITH the unidentified iPhone in order to start any sort of notifications & beeping.

According to Apple, "AirTag is designed to discourage unwanted tracking. If someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s traveling with you and send you an alert. After a while, if you still haven’t found it, the AirTag will start playing a sound to let you know it’s there.

You can also try a test yourself before the trip (Just leave the AirTag registered to you at home and see if another member of your family or household is notified when you're away). But as fas as I know, I think the AirTag and unidentified iPhone need to be moving together in some proximity for alerts to to be triggered.

 

[msackey]

@Coffee50 , thanks for the details! This is very helpful. I have found it very difficult to parse out what is what. I even chatted with an Apple specialist and they indicated that they were uncertain how much movement is needed and how long before the AirTag starts beeping.

I think this is going to be my plan: buy the AirTag and test it out in our home. If it doesn't work like the way I would like it to work, I have 2 weeks to return the AirTag!

TBH, we had never considered getting AirTags, but because of this trip and the probability of bringing with us an iPad which we don't intend to keep close to us during the day, it's given me second thought that maybe we should buy a tag. We could leave the iPad at home, but I think we could find it useful to do some research and booking for train tickets and things like that during our trip.

 

[KaliYoni]

buy the AirTag and test it out in our home. If it doesn't work like the way I would like it to work, I have 2 weeks to return the AirTag!

I'd say that is a good plan, given you do not currently own any AirTags.

Personally, if I faced a similar situation here's what I'd probably do:

1. See if the AirTag indeed beeps under your scenario.
2. If so, try wrapping AirTag in clothing or towels. Put in suitcase. Check how audible the beeps are when triggered.
3. If the beeps are still too loud, disable the AirTag speaker (I haven't done this to any of my AirTags but it seems there are a lot of YouTube videos showing how to do it).

Further, to maximize the security of your iPad or bags in hotel rooms and on transport, these PacSafe products are useful:

Portable Safes & Bag Protectors

pacsafe.com

I've used PacSafe bags and accessories for years. They have gone all over the world with me. They are all well made and well designed in my experience.

 

[msackey]

I'd say that is a good plan, given you do not currently own any AirTags.

Personally, if I faced a similar situation here's what I'd probably do:

1. See if the AirTag indeed beeps under your scenario.
2. If so, try wrapping AirTag in clothing or towels, Put in suitcase. Check how audible the beeps are when triggered.
3. If the beeps are still too loud, disable the AirTag speaker (I haven't done this to any of my AirTags but it seems there are a lot of YouTube videos showing how to do it).

Further, to maximize the security of your iPad or bags in hotel rooms and on transport, these PacSafe products are useful:

Portable Safes & Bag Protectors

pacsafe.com

I've had several PacSafe products for years. They have gone all over the world with me. They are all well made and well designed in my experience.

I love that idea of wrapping the AirTag in a towel if it beeps for a situation that I do not want it to. Definitely don't want a beeping tag which would make housekeeping thing either something is fishy, or they recognize it's time to steal something valuable. Haha.

Thanks for the link to PacSafe. It reminded me that I have one of those cash bags with a lock. I didn't buy it. When my work office was moved to a new building, we were getting rid of supplies and one of them was an old cash bag with a lock. I took it with me instead of throwing it away. It's too small to fit an iPad though.

 

[KaliYoni]

My intention with that AirTag is specifically so that if the bag gets stolen, we may be able to trace it.

One more thought: if you are concerned with tracking the iPad, but not so much the suitcase, you don't need an AirTag. The FindMy app on the iPad will allow you to track and erase your iPad if it is lost or stolen, assuming you have a Mac or iPhone with you (or can contact a trusted family member or friend who can access your iCloud account).

 

[msackey]

One more thought: if you are concerned with tracking the iPad, but not so much the suitcase, you don't need an AirTag. The FindMy app on the iPad will allow you to track and erase your iPad if it is lost or stolen, assuming you have a Mac or iPhone with you (or can contact a trusted family member or friend who can access your iCloud account).

I had wondered about that.

But isn't the issue with the iPad such that if it is not itself connected to a known network (e.g., by WiFi or mobile data), it won't be able to report where it is? So that's a bit unlike an AirTag which as long as it can Bluetooth connect to a device, maybe more like able to ping a device that is connected, it can give a rough estimate of location? My iPad would have no connection to mobile data.

 

[KaliYoni]

But isn't the issue with the iPad such that if it is not itself connected to a known network (e.g., by WiFi or mobile data), it won't be able to report where it is?

Yes, that is a limitation, at least until a thief or a buyer of stolen goods tries to use the iPad. But if the iPad is put to Sleep with the Wi-Fi turned on, it would be possible to track down a stolen iPad if its absence is noticed before it leaves the premises of a hotel. AirTags have a related limitation, where an iPhone must be nearby for the tracking network to function. When in developing countries, or even away from major metropolitan areas in developed countries, non-Apple phones often dominate.

In any case, I don’t think there is any perfect single technological or physical solution to safeguarding expensive devices. Layers of protection, with an emphasis on deterrence, such as locks, cables, and slash-proof materials, is how I approach security when I’m on the road.

 

[msackey]

So I bought AirTags yesterday. Testing it out in the home. Here’s my scenario:

AirTag is connected to my husband’s appleid. He’ll be leaving home tomorrow for an appointment that’ll take several hours.

I’m assuming that his iPad and Mac laptops which both are connected to his appleid also have to be turned off in order to recognize he’s not home?? What about the Appletv which is connected to his ID and mine too? Does the AppleTV need to be unplugged too?

 

[msackey]

So I thought I'd just update this with my experience in case others in the future are interested:

We bought an AirTag and I had it associated with my partner's AppleID. We kept the the AirTag in the house while he went to work. We made sure to turn off his iPad and MacBook which he was keeping in the house, just in case the iPad and MacBook end up reporting that he's still around so the anti-stalking feature would not activate. I carried the AirTag with me a little bit while in the house but not throughout the day. There was no beeping.

Thinking that maybe the AirTag is recognizing the location is home I thought maybe I should test this out in my work office the next day. So same thing: AirTag still associated with husband's AppleID. He drove me to work and then he drove to his office. I carry the AirTag with me up 10 flights of stairs to my office (I walk up the stairs rather than take the elevator) and still no beeping. I put down the AirTag for a long period while I work and the tag never beeped. A little later, I put the tag in my pocket and walk around the office and office hallway for a period and still no beeping.

This tests satisfies my curiosity that it seems the tag probably only starts beeping (anti-stalking feature) after it's been moved without its owner's AppleID nearby for quite some time. Walking around with it for even like 3 minutes doesn't seem to make it beep. For my purposes, this is good. I would not expect the housekeeping staff to move my bag with AirTag for anywhere near 3 minutes while I am not in the room!

So to conclude: I think we are going to bring this tag with us on our trip!

 

[KaliYoni]

So I thought I'd just update this with my experience in case others in the future are interested:
[…]

Something you may want to check is the firmware version of your AirTags. The most recent update made movement alerts easier to trigger. I noticed the change right away.

Details on firmware checking and updating:

Apple Releases AirTags Firmware Update

Apple today released a new firmware update designed for its AirTag item trackers, with the firmware featuring an updated build number of 2A36, up...

www.macrumors.com

 

[msackey]

Something you may want to check is the firmware version of your AirTags. The most recent update made movement alerts easier to trigger. I noticed the change right away.

Details on firmware checking and updating:

Apple Releases AirTags Firmware Update

Apple today released a new firmware update designed for its AirTag item trackers, with the firmware featuring an updated build number of 2A36, up...

www.macrumors.com

Oh dear!

 

[ChrisA]

... the iPad will be placed inside a bag which we plan to have an AirTag in it. The bag will be padlocked. ...

If there is an iPad in the bag, the AirTag is not needed. You can use "Find my Device" and it will find the iPad. But if the iPad is left in the room, how could you lose it? If it is stolen from the room, the person would just turn it off. AirTags don't help either as the person would toss it in the trash.

AirTags however, do work well with luggage that gets lost. Keep one on each bag.

 

[msackey]

If there is an iPad in the bag, the AirTag is not needed. You can use "Find my Device" and it will find the iPad. But if the iPad is left in the room, how could you lose it? If it is stolen from the room, the person would just turn it off. AirTags don't help either as the person would toss it in the trash.

AirTags however, do work well with luggage that gets lost. Keep one on each bag.

The iPad would depend on connected WiFi network for FindMy, no? And it wouldn’t be connected to any network except the Hotel one until it’s out of range. The AirTag would be in the iPad sleeve which itself would be locked in a bag.

 

[ChrisA]

The iPad would depend on connected WiFi network for FindMy, no? And it wouldn’t be connected to any network except the Hotel one until it’s out of range. The AirTag would be in the iPad sleeve which itself would be locked in a bag.

In the hotel room scenario, the iPad is either in the room where you let if or someone stole it. If stolen, the thief would chuck the AirTag in the trash or turn off the iPad. Either way, you'd never find it.

Apple's "find my..." technology ONLY works for locating misplaced items, that were not intentionally stolen (unless the thief is very stupid.)

So yes, the iPad depends on Wi-Fi, but if that does not work, you'd never get it back.

The AirTag works very well if you need to find a backpack that you accidentally left someplace.

 

[msackey]

In the hotel room scenario, the iPad is either in the room where you let if or someone stole it. If stolen, the thief would chuck the AirTag in the trash or turn off the iPad. Either way, you'd never find it.

Apple's "find my..." technology ONLY works for locating misplaced items, that were not intentionally stolen (unless the thief is very stupid.)

So yes, the iPad depends on Wi-Fi, but if that does not work, you'd never get it back.

The AirTag works very well if you need to find a backpack that you accidentally left someplace.

Thanks for the information. Yes, I recognize that Apple doesn't intend the AirTag to be used for tracking stolen goods and they have made a lot of publicity about that.