AirTag Tidbits: Maximum of 16 Per Apple ID, Low Battery Notifications on iPhone, and More

[alexandr]

As another user pointed out, this is a lost-item finder, not a stolen-item tracker.

Besides, if a thief steals your keys, they’re just going to rip off the AirTag when they see it anyway.

yea, obviously, but if you have an airtag hidden in your bag somewhere — it could be a different story.

 

[1258186]

I think I remember that they said there is an option to opt out of the Mesh network if you don't want to participate and be helpful to others.

Any idea how to do that?

 

[davidjschloss]

Still can’t believe the new AppleTV remote doesn’t have one built in. That video with the guy crawling into the couch was a perfect opportunity to have a little dig at themselves by focusing in on one of the current style remotes hiding in the couch. Opportunity lost.

I was thinking of this, wondering if anyone was going to make a case with an airtag holder, or if people will just use a case with adhesive.

At very least all remotes should be able to make a noise when you lose them. I mean FFS there's a cat inside that labyrinth couch, the remote could be anywhere.

 

[michael31986]

No, you don't have it right.

You can disable your phone from giving you safety alerts. You cannot disable a tag from issuing them to other users who have not disabled it on their phone.

What does it mean when they disable it. Do they disable the sound. The tracking. What. And is it through prompts on their iPhones.

 

[michael31986]

When you get an alert that YOU are being tracked, you can dismiss the alert from your own phone. Basically, you are saying, "yeah, I know I am being tracked so stop alerting me cuz it's on purpose".

But I thought the sound would still happen on the tracker... is sound from tracker and iPhone.

 

[davidjschloss]

yea, obviously, but if you have an airtag hidden in your bag somewhere — it could be a different story.

Bags are an excellent use case. There's a few travel bags that have motion alarms on them already. You can set the bag to make a noise if it's moved before you unlock it with your phone. I will absolutely put these in my bags—partially because ill be able to tell how far away they are on the baggage conveyor.

But depending on the distance they can go from you before you have it alert you it can be a great suitcase-is-being-stolen notifier, and a way for the police to find your stolen items.

I do a lot of work in the camera business around journalists and we often all have the same model cameras. I put electrical tape on my gear now to tell it apart, I'm definitely going to attach an AirTag to my camera strap and in my bag.

 

[davidjschloss]

"I disagree" says the Butterfly Keyboard.

Apple Mouse with no scroll wheel and no right click: Hold my beer.

 

[seinman]

What does it mean when they disable it. Do they disable the sound. The tracking. What. And is it through prompts on their iPhones.

I'm not gonna type it all up again, but all these questions have been answered. Read through all the front page posts about AirTags.

 

[DotCom2]

Any idea how to do that?

Probably won't be available until 14.5 comes out next week.

 

[alexandr]

Bags are an excellent use case. There's a few travel bags that have motion alarms on them already. You can set the bag to make a noise if it's moved before you unlock it with your phone. I will absolutely put these in my bags—partially because ill be able to tell how far away they are on the baggage conveyor.

But depending on the distance they can go from you before you have it alert you it can be a great suitcase-is-being-stolen notifier, and a way for the police to find your stolen items.

I do a lot of work in the camera business around journalists and we often all have the same model cameras. I put electrical tape on my gear now to tell it apart, I'm definitely going to attach an AirTag to my camera strap and in my bag.

exactly. now i'm just very curious to see how this whole notifying a potential thief that there is an airtag traveling with him will work...

 

[Phil.O]

2 mailmen, 2 lovers, 4 neighbors.

Venn diagram please - you might be ok.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

 

[BvizioN]

Still can’t believe the new AppleTV remote doesn’t have one built in. That video with the guy crawling into the couch was a perfect opportunity to have a little dig at themselves by focusing in on one of the current style remotes hiding in the couch. Opportunity lost.

Keys have far more potential to get lost because they are in a move in all places you go! TV Remote? Misplaced -yes, lost - NO.

 

[1258186]

Probably won't be available until 14.5 comes out next week.

Thanks

 

[DotCom2]

yea, obviously, but if you have an airtag hidden in your bag somewhere — it could be a different story.

Some crafty Amazon 3rd party seller might invent some sort of pouch you can sew into a bag with the tag in it, so the thief can't discard it so readily. Of course, the thief doesn't really want your bag, they want the contents so not that great still, but it just might give you enough time to track.

 

[themick4u]

Hmmmm seems like these might be cool

 

[JohnApples]

exactly. now i'm just very curious to see how this whole notifying a potential thief that there is an airtag traveling with him will work...

If they have an iPhone it will alert them that there’s a tracker following them. They will then either A) abandon the suitcase or B) rummage through it to find and disable the tracker. However if they’re already rummaging through your suitcase, they’re most likely going to take what’s valuable and leave the rest behind anyway.

Or the third possibility is that they don’t know/care what an AirTag is and carry on.

Again, it’s a lost-item-finder, not an anti-theft tool, so yes thieves with iPhones will eventually be alerted to the presence of AirTags.

 

[1258186]

I can see a new sport emerging. Find someone’s tag, ring them up and say you found the tag and threw it in the river. Happy days!

 

[ersatzplanet]

That would be the iphone mini

No, that would be the "hockey puck" mouse.

 

[dwsolberg]

Apple seems extremely afraid of security concerns, which may well be warranted. However, I can tell it's going to be annoying for me. Apparently, once you "tag" something you own, you can no longer let anyone else use it without jumping through hoops.

 

[1258186]

So is the battery replaceable like my car remote? If this is a throw away item after battery dies, why the heck would anyone buy this???

Edited: turns out the tags use a standard replaceable battery.

 

[mannyvel]

Everyone here is giving thieves too much credit. Most thieves are thieves because they're not bright enough or motivated enough to do something else.

 

[seinman]

So is the battery replaceable like my car remote? If this is a throw away item after battery dies, why the heck would anyone buy this???

Yes. It uses a standard button-cell battery, the back screws off. Are you not paying attention? This has been heavily reported.

 

[seinman]

Yes, the battery is user replaceable. However it doesn’t say what type of battery it uses, where you buy the replacements and how much they cost. It might be a special battery only available from Apple for $10. Battery lasts up to 1 year.

It's a CR2032. Completely standard, you can get them everywhere.

 

[ersatzplanet]

Removed after changing my mind...

 

[MrGimper]

Possibly the worst product Apple has ever made IMO.

Says more about your opinion than the product