Air tag

[dba7108]

I've had a couple of tools stolen off my property. I'm thinking of setting a trap for said thief. If I buy an air tag will it track it if the power tool is taken a mile or 2 down the road. How do they work? I've got a samsung phone. Am I best to get an apple tag as more people or the youth have these. Will it be more reliable?

[MitchT]

Air Tags repot their location by pairing with the nearest Bluetooth enabled device. A warning appears on the paired device to lt know.

So, things to bear in mind...

• If the theif's phone has Bluetooth turned off you won't get any location reports except at fleeting moments when the Air Tag happens to be close to another Bluetooth enabled device.
• If the theif's phone has Bluetooth turned on their device will warn them about the Air Tag and they might find it and dispose of it.

One of those GPS pet trackers might be better.

[theboss]

They don't need to pair with other devices. They are detected silently by other Apple internet connected devices i.e. phones/ipads and their locations broadcast.

Therefore it only needs to be in proximity to another iPhone and its location (at that time) will be reported.

If it ends up travelling with another iPhone without the owner being present then eventually after some time that iPhone user will be prompted t to say there is an airtag nearby, this is to prohibit / discourage covert tracking of people. Eventually the airtag itself will emit a noise.

Therefore it could work for a period of time, several days, but if not retrieved it will eventually draw attention to itself.

[stemll]

The unwanted tracking also works if it's "following" an Android phone. This is designed to prevent what the OP wants to do.

However, the OP has Android so won't be able to set up the Air Tag in the first place.

[The Gauge]

Considering they work of other devices bluetooth, I've never had a notification on my iPhone saying that Ilm near an AirTag

[LunarOne]

As I understand it, you don't get warned of airtags unless you are moving about and the airtag that is not yours is remaining in close proximity to you. I've been working all day from someone else's desk, and their keys with airtag were sitting next to my phone all day. No notifications. I have airtags hidden in my cars where it would be difficult for a thief to find them quickly, and in all my suitcases. Works well for that sort of scenario.

[stemll]

The Gauge said:

Considering they work of other devices bluetooth, I've never had a notification on my iPhone saying that Ilm near an AirTag

For an Air Tag to cause an iOS device to send its location it has to be marked as Lost and/or be out of range of all of the Find Me devices linked to the Apple ID it's registered with. When it does that, the device that the Air Tag used to send the location does not tell the user that it's doing it. It can only do this with Apple devices, it cannot get an Android device to send a location as they aren't on Find My.

As for unwanted tracking, if I put my Air Tag in your bag and you went off on your own without me then that would trigger an unwanted tracking alert (on iOS and Android - a rare example of Apple and Google working together) and if you open the alert you can make the Air Tag play a sound to help you find it. If I was on the same train/bus as you then you would not get a notification because I am still in range of it.

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/119874

Designed specifically to stop you using an Air Tag to track someone who doesn't know they have it so, by design, would thwart the OPs ask.

[Brother D]

get a tile. Cheaper and better. (They will however sue the ass off you if you use them for stalking someone)

I think I have about 20+ tiles of various types for the family from car tracking, tv remotes, luggage, bags, wallets, car keys and a work phone that keeps going missing. Brother also has them and it also let him recover a van an employee stole as the guy didn't realise the key fob was a tile...

Same as air tag they work off Bluetooth. Surprising amount off people use tiles as they came out several years before the airtag

https://www.tile.com/