Apple Airtags

[DougR]

Yes, they do work.

Post automatically merged: Aug 8, 2022

Yes, ditch those QF coasters on bags, not the Apple tag.

Not to mention that the QTags are now starting to show severe plastic deterioration

 

[Port Power]

I found Matt’s article very informative, as well as related comments from AFFers. I have just purchased a 4-pack through the Qantas Store (of course).

I am flying QR into AMS on October 8. After collecting luggage I have a short KLM onward flight. With the current horror stories, I’ll feel much happier knowing where my two suitcases are. Even if not on my flight! I’m not taking a carry on though, but might now at least carry a tote with tops and undies for three days just in case.

 

[kookaburra75]

The research that I did before our trip leads me to believe that the AirTags really are the best solution. Because they use Bluetooth and Find my iPhone, rather than relying on people having an app installed.
I don’t think the Tile is particularly useful, sounds like the Samsung tags may be similar, needs the app.
Anyway, Tile didn’t work for us….We have Samsung phones and iPads.

There is an Android app Tracker Detect, but it's more about detecting an Airtag that may have been placed on you without your knowledge.

As I'm not part of the Apple ecosystem, I"ve gone with the Chipolo One for my bags. It's not as good as the Apple solution, but it's better than nothing.

 

[BNEFlyer]

I purchased some for an upcoming overseas trip but used them over the weekend on a weekend trip. I was able to see that my bag was sitting in the baggage area at the airport and then about 10 minutes before departure it was "with me" on the plane.

On arrival at MEL it was "with me" again but then didn't update until I physically had it again, but that just means there weren't any active iPhones in the baggage area.

The "Left behind" notifications are working well too.

 

[justin23]

I"ve gone with the Chipolo One for my bags

I've actually got the Chipolo Card Spot for Apple in my wallet. Works well. I'm yet to get my air tags, but looks like wednesday. Not sure if it would be a good idea to trigger the alarm on the card if my wallet got stolen or not.......

 

[justin23]

Question, obviously, will the Apple device show up on the Mac, especially in the airport on arrival?

I just looked at the app on my mac. The items show up, but I can't even see a button to add a new item. A quick google says you need to set them up with an iphone, ipad or ipod touch?! They show up fine on the macbook though

 

[Lynda2475]

Is there an Android version of these tags?

Yes the most widely used one is called Tile (it works on Android and Apple), Apple actually copied the design for air tags. Ive been using Tiles on this current trip, i knew exactly where my bags were when BA didnt.

Can get at JB Hi Fi or amazon, less expensive than air tag (and greater range depending on model), and more users than the Galaxy tags.

 

[justin23]

Yes the most widely used one is called Tile (it works on Android and Apple), Apple actually copied the design for air tags.

Yes i wouldn't recommend Tile anymore for Apple though. For Android, Tile is for now the best option (samsung has options). Apples design has a feature that makes it more accurate than tile and quicker to locate. So Apple copied the idea and refined the design which is what they tend to do well.

Tile does have a few types of tags, unlike Apples one design. Chipolo also makes some including the Chipolo Card Spot which works with the Apple Find My app.

and greater range depending on model

Not an issue with the way Apple has implemented their solution, because they control all the hardware, everyones apples product helps locate the airtag, thus quicker to find and more accurate.

 

[Lynda2475]

refined the design which is what they tend to do well.

That made me laugh, usability alone has Android way in front, so flexible.

Anyway, the person i was replying to wisely does not have an iphone, hence Tile recommendation given much fewer Samsung and Chipolo users (i was given a free Samsung tracker through work, but my own testing shows Tile works better and i have a Samsung phone).

Tile works over double the distance of air tags, everytime ive looked for my bags there have 2k plus active tile users in the area (no one is trusting airlines these days). I was able to tell when bags were and werent on the plane (even A380 from upper deck), track the courier as he drove my bags all over Edinburgh.

Obviously if you have an iphone then airtags will work best because apple always give preferential treatment to their own eco system, but for Android Tile has the best range of tags and largest user base.

 

[Pushka]

That made me laugh, usability alone has Android way in front, so flexible.

Anyway, the person i was replying to wisely does not have an iphone, hence Tile recommendation given much fewer Samsung and Chipolo users (i was given a free Samsung tracker through work, but my own testing shows Tile works better and i have a Samsung phone).

Tile works over double the distance of air tags, everytime ive looked for my bags there have 2k plus active tile users in the area (no one is trusting airlines these days). I was able to tell when bags were and werent on the plane (even A380 from upper deck), track the courier as he drove my bags all over Edinburgh.

Obviously if you have an one then airtags will work best because apple always given preferential treatment to their own eco system, but for Android Tile has the best range of tags and largest user base.

Probably no need to slam iPhone users in a thread about apple airtags. Ok. You've amended your post now. Wise move.

 

[justin23]

That made me laugh, usability alone has Android way in front, so flexible.

Really no need for that response to be honest. I'm not interested in juvenile iPhone vs Android nonsense.

Independent reviews have said Apple Air Tags are quicker to locate and even Tile have said they are looking to implement their own version of Ultra Wide band (UWB) in the future. This is what competition is good for. Tile had a good idea, Apple took that idea and improved on it. Tile has said yes thats a good use of UWB and are planning to do something similar. This is not an opinion, its factual information. No need for any superiority nonsense.

Also the distance is irrelevant with how Airtags are able to work, because every Apple device is a location device. For tile there are likely to be fewer tile users around (although airport are likely to have the highest concentration) and thus you need the extra range to work efficiently. Many Tile users are apple users also, which would then do both.

 

[Lynda2475]

LOL you threw the first stone Tile bashing unecessarily when the response was to a non iphone user, and absolutely no one recommends airtags for non apple uses. There are multiple reviews with video proof showing the superior range of Tile and fact that it is also louder which helps if trying to pull your bag out of a mountain of bags at heathrow.

I personally like that i can turn tile app on and off and not have phone manufacturer deciding to drain battery using blue tooth and gps when ive no need to track. The community feature of tile works fine at airport when everyone looking for and handling baggage has it enabled.

 

[tgh]

sigh….

 

[RooFlyer]

I've actually got the Chipolo Card Spot for Apple in my wallet. Works well. I'm yet to get my air tags, but looks like wednesday. Not sure if it would be a good idea to trigger the alarm on the card if my wallet got stolen or not.......

Chipolo in my wallet is a bit flaky. Some days it’ll give me multiple alerts that it’s not with me whereas my wallet is right in my pocket. Don’t know what happens there but there you go.

Probably no need to slam iPhone users in a thread about apple airtags. Ok. You've amended your post now. Wise move.

Ho hum

sigh….

We know who’s going to have the last word, don’t we?

FWIW I’ve tried Tile and I’ve tried Apple Air tags. Tags win by a country mile.

 

[VPS]

Maybe relevant to some users

 

[drron]

Well Apple air tags do sometimes get it wrong. 2 days ago got a notification that we had left a tag behind. We hadn’t. When we got to our destination they all were with us according to the app.

 

[kyle]

Not sure if I should start a new thread on Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ so I'll just leave it here for now.

Just want to report that throughout my trip in Europe, covering Singapore stopover and transit, London, Barcelona, Paris, Munich, Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Interlaken, the Samsung Galaxy user base with the latest phones are large enough to pick up the tags. Fortunately didn't have to call on them as all luggage arrived safely.

 

[justin23]

LOL you threw the first stone Tile bashing unecessarily when the response was to a non iphone user, and absolutely no one recommends airtags for non apple uses.

Feel free to find the bit where I bashed Tile. I think you hastily read something I wrote and went straight onto the front foot. My comment was about not recommending tile for apple anymore, because before Airtags, many apple users bought Tiles. I feel its a fair comment.
In fact I was the first to recommend tile in the thread at post #166. Now I imagine they work much better now more people are looking at tracking tokens and most of those would be android users as apple users will find Airtags are a better solution for them (Also more android phones than apple phones in the world). When i looked at a tile before covid the issue IMO was things could still get lost and luggage was not responding because of the lack of devices able to find the Tile. The range was required to make them more useful. I'm not bashing the tile, because without them, we may not have airtags, or any of the other products available.

 

[tgh]

How many air tags will be in use before they overwhelm their host systems ?
leads to: pullback by owners at consumption of resources by extraneous hitchhikers and development of blocking apps

 

[RooFlyer]

How many air tags will be in use before they overwhelm their host systems ?
leads to: pullback by owners at consumption of resources by extraneous hitchhikers and development of blocking apps

A blocking app would be to block Bluetooth. I guess guess if someone want to do that they would’ve done it by now; perhaps they have.