Apple Air Tags

[Screwdriver]

May I ask, do these Air tags only work with the Latest iphones?

Also, If I had an iphone switched on solely for tracking these air tags, would I have to have phone service provider that I would obbiously need to pay? Or, do they still track without being connected to the service
provider?

My understanding is that this tracking technology is not a discrete service per se but sort of an overhead for your connectivity. Like a "spare" bit of code that just gets tacked onto your mainstream use of it. Location/time info is a microscopic amount of data anyway. I don't know what the other manufacturers are doing but if I had to guess, I'd say same same.

On Apple devices, when the battery is totally dead and unable to boot, it still keeps a reserve for Bluetooth "find my phone" etc.

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

That’s a cracking idea for luggage

Iv never lost any but have heard the horror stories of people

May I ask, do these Air tags only work with the Latest iphones?

Also, If I had an iphone switched on solely for tracking these air tags, would I have to have phone service provider that I would obbiously need to pay? Or, do they still track without being connected to the service
provider?

I think they work with all Iphones / iPads / macs that have “Find My” installed on them. However with later iPhones (possibly 11 onwards) as well as showing on map they will accurately guide you exactly to the AirTag within a couple of cm’s whereas older iPhones I think are accurate to guide you to a metre or so

 

[mike os]

How big are they?

 

[mike os]

How big are they?

 

[Dev]

(if anyone’s curious the holder was for attaching to a little person for going to a theme park)

 

[mart]

I wonder why there is such a variation in price....up 90 odd quid??

Air tags - Google Search

 

[Dev]

Multi-pack?

 

[mart]

The one for a cat's neck might do me if I wanted a Boozy night out. £7.99 to stop anyone worrying about me.

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Quick demo. You can rename each AirTag to whatever it is attached to. You can also ping the AirTag and it will start beeping.

 

[ajlelectronics]

On Apple devices, when the battery is totally dead and unable to boot, it still keeps a reserve for Bluetooth "find my phone" etc.

News to me, sounds like a tinfoil job. What actually happens is that the 'phone sends its location in response to the battery pack's dying throes. It will not update until it is able to power up again. When the 'phone is off, all RF functions are disabled.

 

[northwest]

Is there an app for Android so you can still locate them?

 

[Dev]

News to me, sounds like a tinfoil job. What actually happens is that the 'phone sends its location in response to the battery pack's dying throes. It will not update until it is able to power up again. When the 'phone is off, all RF functions are disabled.

With iOS 15, your iPhone is still traceable through the Find My network even when the device is powered off. It seems that with iOS 15, the phone is not really fully ‘powered off’, it stays in a low-power state and acts like an AirTag, allowing any nearby iOS device to pick up the Bluetooth signal and send back its location.

This also means if your iPhone runs out of battery during the day, you still have a chance of finding its location for several more hours. In fact, Apple says the location tracking will even keep working whilst the phone is reset to factory settings with Activation Lock enabled.

Apple informs users about this new behaviour with an alert dialog when the newly-updated iOS 15 iPhone is running low on power for the first time.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Apple devices have a low power mode, that is true but it is not in low power mode when it is fully off. The user can choose lower power mode when prompted, or not. When it finally dies, it will not even power back up without external power being applied.

 

[Screwdriver]

News to me, sounds like a tinfoil job. What actually happens is that the 'phone sends its location in response to the battery pack's dying throes. It will not update until it is able to power up again. When the 'phone is off, all RF functions are disabled.

Apple devices have a low power mode, that is true but it is not in low power mode when it is fully off. The user can choose lower power mode when prompted, or not. When it finally dies, it will not even power back up without external power being applied.

No. It ALSO sends it's last location as the battery begins to fail (if you tick that setting in find my phone).

That is a different "low power mode" than the firmware version built into the iOS. The battery maintains a sufficient charge to keep Bluetooth active for some considerable <unspecified> time after the battery is apparently stone dead. The iPhone does not send it's location under those circumstances, it's location is picked up and uploaded to the network by another random Bluetooth device which might stray close enough to it.

It's a great system. No tinfoil hat required. I use mine all the time.

 

[ajlelectronics]

It's a great system. No tinfoil hat required. I use mine all the time.

Well I will have a look with a spectrum analyser over the weekend, so we shall see.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Is there an app for Android so you can still locate them?

I told you, you’re not putting a tracker on me

 

[premmington]

Is there an app for Android so you can still locate them?

I got the Samsung versions for Android - Smart Tags.

I got them in all of the courtesy/loner cars we have - yes they work - but they do have to see another Samsung phone in wideband bluetooth distance. They work a treat in town centres and busy places where there are alot of phones about - but in less populated areas - they are a bit hit and miss.

 

[Ruffian]

I know a guy who's van got broken into overnight. They tool various boxes and bits and pieces.

One of which was the Samsung equivalent of the apple airtag.

So he and a couple of large lads went round to the house where it was and politely asked for his stuff back. Which he did get.

I have thought about trialing one in fuel or other places to see how long it would last with abuse.

 

[Hitch]

Im not so sure its a benefit! To have excessive tracking just to stop the odd person loosing their keys.

Get one of them whistling ones from 1985 init.

Interesting to hear Samsung do a version.

 

[bricol]

I know a guy who's van got broken into overnight. They tool various boxes and bits and pieces.

One of which was the Samsung equivalent of the apple airtag.

So he and a couple of large lads went round to the house where it was and politely asked for his stuff back. Which he did get.

I have thought about trialing one in fuel or other places to see how long it would last with abuse.

Fell across an American cop video of them doing exactly that with a stolen back pack.
The amusing bit was how more than the thief involved managed to get themselves arrested simply be being idiots and not shutting up.


Can any phone see that one is present? ie if I wasn't the owner of the device, would my phone show one being near?