13 Creative Ways To Use An Apple AirTag

In April 2021, Apple released a new personal precision tracking device called the AirTag ($99 for a 4 pack via Amazon). This small piece of technology has the potential to prevent users from losing important items. But there’s so much more that you can do with an AirTag besides finding your lost keys. From secret agent “dead drops” to recovering lost pets, here are some creative ways to use an Apple AirTag.

What Is An AirTag And How Does It Work?

Before going into some of the creative ways to use an AirTag, let’s first review its intended purpose.

The Apple AirTag is a small device, about the size of a quarter, that gives users a private and secure way to locate items. Once an AirTag is paired to your account, it will then appear along with you other Apple gadgets in the Find My app, like your laptops and iPhones.

Typical Apple AirTag range is about 40 feet (12.19 m), so as long as you’re close to them, AirTags are very easy to find. Apple also added a U1 chip to the AirTag enabling you to see its precise location data, or its last known location if it’s missing. There’s also a Lost Mode feature that takes advantage of all nearby iOS and macOS devices (Apple Watch, iPhone, MacBook) to help you recover a lost item. Sorry Android users, Android devices can’t fully take advantage of AirTag technology.

Setting up an AirTag is as easy as connecting AirPods to your iPhone. As soon as an AirTag is near your phone, Apple’s software will automatically activate and attempt to connect the two devices.

Clever Ways On How To Use An Apple AirTag

AirTags can either be slipped into your pocket or bag, or even secured to an object using a variety of approved Apple-designed accessories and holders (shop via Amazon).

Sure, you can use an AirTag to keep track of your keys, but there are so many other uses for AirTags. Here are some creative ways that you can use an Apple AirTag.

Tracking Moving Trucks

Over the years, I’ve moved about 6 times. One of the things that I absolutely hate about moving is that the moving company never exactly knows where your stuff is located. But for my latest move, I bought 16 Apple AirTags and placed them inside all of my important boxes. It was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done!

I learned so much from my AirTags. My movers split up my boxes into three trucks that all took different routes across the United States. Why? I later found out that full trucks would go to other moves to help pack and load.

High-Tech Game Of “Hot Or Cold” Or “Hide-And-Go-Seek”

While trying to explain how an Apple AirTag works to some kids, the conversation quickly evolved into a game of hide-and-go-seek. One person would hide the AirTag and then the other kids would try to find it using an iPhone.

The typical AirTag range is about 40 feet (12.19 m) and if you have an iPhone 11 or higher, directional precision finding arrows will help guide you to the AirTag’s location. For extra tricky hiding spots, you can also make the AirTag vibrate and beep.

Kids can spend hours playing AirTag Hide-And-Go-Seek, but the game normally ends when I need my phone back.

Pet Tracker: Make Recovering Lost Pets Easier With An AirTag

If you own a pet, then you’ve probably had the unfortunate experience of trying to track down a lost animal. I’ve been lucky. I’ve always been able to reconnect with my lost pets and bring them home, but sometimes the nice people who have found my dog don’t always live nearby.

For example, one time my dog ran off during a hiking trip. My phone number was on my dog’s tag, but the area didn’t have phone service. After searching for our dog for several hours, we gave up and headed out of the area, so I could check my voicemail. As soon as we re-entered cell phone coverage, we were relieved to get a message from a couple that found our dog and took her home with them. The only problem was, they lived over an hour away from the hiking spot and over two hours away from my house. That day ended with an unexpected road trip, but we were so happy to get our dog back.

That situation took place years before the AirTag was invented. If something like that happened today, then I would probably head toward the entrance of the park and wait for the AirTag to come into range. When your AirTag is in Lost Mode, then everyone’s Mac devices (Apple Watch, iPhone, etc.) will help track and recover your lost item. In this situation, the AirTag on your dog’s collar couldn’t leave the area without you being notified.

Kid Tracker: Keeping Track Of You Kids Usng An Apple AirTag

One of the cool things about the Apple AirTag, is its small size makes it hardly noticeable. Parents can easily slip an AirTag into a backpack without even letting their kids know. This makes it incredibly easy to catch them in a lie, or God forbid, find them if they’re missing.

An AirTag in our son’s backpack was incredibly useful one time after we dropped him off at a summer day camp. When we noticed his AirTag slowly moving down a busy street, we became concerned and decided to investigate.

The bus that was supposed to take the summer camp kids to a swimming pool that day wasn’t available. So the inexperienced teenager staff decided to walk a group of 5-year-olds down the side of a busy road in the middle of the summer. Not only was the road dangerous, but it was hot, and the kids didn’t have adequate water.

We raised hell with the camp owner, pulled our son out of the camp and got a full refund. Without the AirTag, we might not have ever known about the incident.

Luggage Tracker: Using An AirTag To Track Your Lost Suitcase Or Purse

Various airlines have lost my luggage over the years. This usually happens when my connecting flights have delays and there’s not enough time for my luggage to make the transfer between planes. While I understand the logistical reasons for why my luggage didn’t make it on to my plane, what I don’t find acceptable is when the airline doesn’t even know the city where luggage is located.

But worrying about the location of your luggage can be a thing of the past… if you have an AirTag. The next time that you go on a trip, just slip an AirTag into your suitcase. That way you will always know where you bag is located. I recently tried this. After my flight, I went to baggage claim and took a seat. While everyone else was crowding around the baggage carousel, I just casually waited for my AirTag to show up on my phone. As soon as it did, I walked over, grabbed my bag and left. It worked like a charm.

However, if you have trouble locating your suitcase while at an airport, try NOT to make your AirTag beep. One of the features that can help you find a lost AirTag is to make it emit a sound, like a chirping noise. But the least thing that you want is for a baggage handler to get suspicious about your luggage. If your luggage starts beeping, someone might think it’s a bomb. If that happens, you might never see your suitcase again, especially if the bomb squad decides to detonate it.

How To Use An AirTag’s Lost Mode To Share Covert Messages Via A “Dead Drop”

When you set up an Apple AirTag, you can add some information to the Lost Mode screen that anyone can see. This info is intended to be contact information to help you recover your lost device. But what if you use the Lost Mode’s info screen to pass secret information instead?

In the world of espionage, a “dead drop” is when someone leaves a package or secret message in public for another person to intercept. Instead of writing a note and taping it underneath a park bench or mailbox, what if you added your secret info to the Lost Mode message of an Apple AirTag? Instead of awkwardly sticking your hand under a mailbox to retrieve a secret note, you could just casually pull out your iPhone while standing next to the mailbox to read the message.

Medication Bag Tracking Device: Never Lose Your Medications Again

My mother-in-law is diabetic and has misplaced her bag of medication more times than she would care to admit. For example, we recently stayed at a KOA Campground for a family reunion and spent time visiting family members camped out at different camp sites. But when she couldn’t find her bag of insulin shots, the entire family had to go into emergency search mode and look for her misplaced medicine bag.

But if we had placed an AirTag inside grandma’s medicine bag, then finding it would have been as easy as opening the Find My app on an iPhone. Instead, the entire family spent over an hour frantically searching the entire KOA. In case you’re curious, her bag was in someone’s car who had left the campground to buy groceries.

Silver Alert: Using An AirTag As An Elderly Person Tracker

As members of your family start to get older, some of them will unfortunately start to have memory issues. In fact, dementia impacts over 6 million Americans. Although there are emergency systems in place to help find people with Dementia, like Silver Alerts, an AirTag can help give you and your family some incredible piece of mind. Just slip an AirTag into grandma’s purse or make an AirTag necklace. Then the next time that she wanders off, you can quickly find her using Apple precision tracking technology.

Recover A Stolen Bike With Secret AirTag Mount Desguised As A Reflector

Bike theft is a serious and growing problem around the world. In North America alone, two million bikes are reported stolen each year. Recovering a stolen bike is almost impossible, but thanks to this clever AirTag mount disguised as a reflector ($15 via Amazon), you just might see your bike again.

Just a word of caution, please consider calling the police before you track the location of your AirTag in an attempt to get your bike back. Your bike thief might be armed and/or dangerous.

Finding Lost Keys With An Apple AirTag

Personally, I’m pretty good at knowing where my stuff is at all times. Even if I’m drunk, I will still put things like my keys away in their right place. However, other members of my family are not so good at keeping track of their stuff and the rest of us have to spend endless hours searching for their lost items.

If you know someone that can’t keep track of their keys, or other items, then just attach it to an Apple AirTag. Apple even added a feature called Separation Alerts in iOS 15 that notifies you if you try to leave your house without your keys.

You can find a variety of AirTag keyholders ($5+ via Amazon) and other types of AirTag mounts online.

Precious Kids Toy Finder

If you have kids, then you know how important a certain stuffed animal or doll can be. One of our kids got so attached to a particular stuffed animal that we bought several backups just to be safe. But a better solution might be to attach an AirTag to your children’s favorite toys.

This works great, especially with toys that take batteries, like a Teddy Ruxpin. There might be enough room for you to slip an AirTag inside the battery compartment. Or you could do things like make an AirTag necklace or even cut a hole and sew an AirTag inside a stuffed animal. Typical AirTag battery life is 1-year, so you won’t have to unhitch and resew that hole for a long time. When your AirTag battery finally dies, just open it up to reveal the replaceable CR2032 battery inside. You can buy CR2032 batteries on Amazon for about $1 each.

Using An AirTag To Catch A Cheating Spouse

One of my friends from work had always suspected that his wife was cheating on him. But when he would look at her location in the Find My app on his iPhone, her phone was always at home. So after the Apple AirTag was released, he bought a 4-pack ($99 via Amazon) and slipped one in each of her favorite purses.

Unfortunately his suspicions were correct. He followed one of the hidden AirTags to the apartment building of her Pilates instructor. Knowing that her husband could observe her location data using the Find My app on her iPhone, his wife would leave her phone at home to avoid detection.

Boss Tracker: Can Someone Track You With AirTag?

So, can someone track you with an Apple AirTag? Can you track them? The answer to both questions is yes. When you put an AirTag into Lost Mode, millions of Apple devices with Find My technology (iPhone, iPad, MacBook, etc.) will listen for lost devices and report their location data to you.

If you put an AirTag into Lost Mode and slip it into your boss’s briefcase, then you’ll be able to see their location every time they get close to another Apple device. And Apple AirTag range is about 40 feet, so other Apple devices don’t even need to be that close. I am NOT advocating stalking here, but if you need to know where your boss is because you’re planning something like a surprise birthday party, then this is a great solution.

A lost AirTag will start making a beeping sound to announce itself after three days. This sound serves a dual purpose: assist in the AirTag recovery and notify someone that they may be unknowingly carrying an AirTag.

Creative Ways To Use An Apple AirTag

I hope some of these creative ways to use an Apple AirTag inspired you to do more with your AirTags than finding lost keys. What do you think about this Apple gadget? How are you using your AirTags? Please let us know in the comments.