Family - Where are the Official Instructions About how to Add an AirTag for a Family Member?

[Zabobon]

The fact that I can share to location of any iDevice (iPhone, iPad, Watch, AirPods, etc) with my wife but not the AirTags is really beyond me and completely ruins the usage case (finding our carkeys...)

Apple can change the software at any point. My hunch is that on initial launch they knew a lot of people would be worried about bad use of these devices (and it's interesting that by far most of the chat on the web has been about how potentially dangerous these AirTags are).

Once the dust settles Apple can easily add in the software ability for Families to share them with Family linked AppleIDs.

Anyway, I'm going to give AirTags a chance and see how they work in everyday use.

 

[ukms]

So .... I'm sitting outside this problem as it doesn't directly impact me but I've been intrigued as to why things may have been implemented in this way........ so hear me out !

With family sharing of devices, as has been pointed out many times when everyone opts in the whole family can see the location of any family members iphone or ipad. Although they are shared, in normal circumstances each device is owned and controlled by one person, so at any given time that person can immediately opt out and stop sharing their location because they have complete control over the device they own.

The airtag is also owned by one person (or one Apple ID), call this 'person 1' who may choose to share its location with others (in a perfect world if implemented), however if the tag is on a shared set of keys and 'person 2' borrows them 'person 2' has no direct control (as they would with the phone that they own) over the tracking other than flip the battery out.

Does that make sense or am I missing something ?

 

[tomda]

So .... I'm sitting outside this problem as it doesn't directly impact me but I've been intrigued as to why things may have been implemented in this way........ so hear me out !

With family sharing of devices, as has been pointed out many times when everyone opts in the whole family can see the location of any family members iphone or ipad. Although they are shared, in normal circumstances each device is owned and controlled by one person, so at any given time that person can immediately opt out and stop sharing their location because they have complete control over the device they own.

The airtag is also owned by one person (or one Apple ID), call this 'person 1' who may choose to share its location with others (in a perfect world if implemented), however if the tag is on a shared set of keys and 'person 2' borrows them 'person 2' has no direct control (as they would with the phone that they own) over the tracking other than flip the battery out.

Does that make sense or am I missing something ?

Well the thing is, the whole purpose of the tags is finding something back right? So not being able to share that ability is rather daft if you ask me. (Unless Apples endgame is forcing me to put 2 AirTags on every item me and the misses share )

Most logically you'd be able to assign 'finding rights' to specific persons in your family for specific AirTags, I never even figured this basic functionality wouldn't be included!

 

[mrklaw]

So .... I'm sitting outside this problem as it doesn't directly impact me but I've been intrigued as to why things may have been implemented in this way........ so hear me out !

With family sharing of devices, as has been pointed out many times when everyone opts in the whole family can see the location of any family members iphone or ipad. Although they are shared, in normal circumstances each device is owned and controlled by one person, so at any given time that person can immediately opt out and stop sharing their location because they have complete control over the device they own.

The airtag is also owned by one person (or one Apple ID), call this 'person 1' who may choose to share its location with others (in a perfect world if implemented), however if the tag is on a shared set of keys and 'person 2' borrows them 'person 2' has no direct control (as they would with the phone that they own) over the tracking other than flip the battery out.

Does that make sense or am I missing something ?

all I was expecting was for one person to ‘own’ each airtag like they own their iPhone, MacBook. And then be able to share location settings with their family, like they do with their iPhone, MacBook

I’d be ok for it to be less granular like ‘share location for all items or no items’ but the current solution is dumb as anything

 

[ukms]

Perhaps the functionality you guys desire will come in a future update, but there may also be privacy reasons/concerns/laws (remember the world doesn't always function on US law ) that prevent it because as i mentioned the person in possession of the shared tag has no way of opting out or being notified they are being tracked if they happen to forget.

If I may say its also an edge case IMHO although I'm sure many on here will disagree but this forum isn't always representative of the general Apple user population

 

[tomda]

Perhaps the functionality you guys desire will come in a future update, but there may also be privacy reasons/concerns/laws (remember the world doesn't always function on US law ) that prevent it because as i mentioned the person in possession of the shared tag has no way of opting out or being notified they are being tracked if they happen to forget.

If I may say its also an edge case IMHO although I'm sure many on here will disagree but this forum isn't always representative of the general Apple user population

I can't speak for the other posters but
a. I am not from the US
b. I am talking about an opt-in for me to activate to let my significant other (or someone else in my Family) find AirTagged stuff through Precision Finding, e.g. the keys to the car we share. So not talking about tracking anyone else (which Apple already actually allows me to do by Finding my wives iPhone...) but allowing someone in my family to find an AirTag connected to keys or something else they can't find without me having to be physically around.

Also; how is this an edge case for people sharing a car, housekeys a remote or anything else you can think of? I'd go as far as saying this should be considered a primary function...

 

[mrklaw]

Someone can already share the location of their phone so this wouldn’t be any different to that

 

[ukms]

Someone can already share the location of their phone so this wouldn’t be any different to that

As I posted above ….. a phone is different because it is owned by one person and at any time they can cut the sharing …… an airtag shared between 2 people or more only one person (the owner) can cut the sharing.

 

[ukms]

I can't speak for the other posters but
a. I am not from the US
b. I am talking about an opt-in for me to activate to let my significant other (or someone else in my Family) find AirTagged stuff through Precision Finding, e.g. the keys to the car we share. So not talking about tracking anyone else (which Apple already actually allows me to do by Finding my wives iPhone...) but allowing someone in my family to find an AirTag connected to keys or something else they can't find without me having to be physically around.

Also; how is this an edge case for people sharing a car, housekeys a remote or anything else you can think of? I'd go as far as saying this should be considered a primary function...

I know you are not looking to track anyone else but if your significant other takes the keys with the airtag that you own …… your significant other cannot opt out of the tracking that you control if the tracking is shared.

I say it’s an edge case of two people wanting to track the same item …. That’s my opinion ….. of course many people share car keys but many of those will also be happy that they can be found by one person in the event of loss.

I also believe that if the privacy concerns or any legal concerns are a non issue then Apple will address this in an update.

 

[mrklaw]

As I posted above ….. a phone is different because it is owned by one person and at any time they can cut the sharing …… an airtag shared between 2 people or more only one person (the owner) can cut the sharing.

right. But we don’t need two people to own the tag. It’s fine just like a phone. One person owns the tag and then shares the location. Within a family sharing group then you’d all be able to track the tag - eg on a shared set of keys.

 

[ukms]

right. But we don’t need two people to own the tag. It’s fine just like a phone. One person owns the tag and then shares the location. Within a family sharing group then you’d all be able to track the tag - eg on a shared set of keys.

I get that …. But on a shared set of keys if anyone uses the keys other than the owner they can’t opt out of the sharing while using the keys, with a phone they can switch it off at anytime.

 

[Gizmotoy]

I don't know. This actually came up at work, and 2 coworkers also got AirTags on Friday and were discussing them today. Both had the exact same issue, and both were considering returning them when it became more clear they don't work like anything currently in Find My. Clearly not a representative sample, but I don't think it's a rare desire: it's a key selling point of all competing devices.

This seems less like an edge case and more like a fundamental rejection of how families actually use keys (and probably other stuff you might put AirTags on). This is fine, they don't have to cover everyone's use case, but it would have helped if they were more clear that they were creating an entirely new class of devices that wouldn't work like anything currently in Find My. It could also be that they do understand this is a common use case, but the feature just wasn't ready yet and will roll out in the future.

I get that …. But on a shared set of keys if anyone uses the keys other than the owner they can’t opt out of the sharing while using the keys, with a phone they can switch it off at anytime.

Right, in the current implementation they could not, but that does not mean there is no way to do this using the existing Family Sharing architecture. Indeed they have already implemented the opposite ("opt IN to the sharing while using the keys") even in the current implementation.

 

[Roadster Lewis]

We aren't finding that we have this issue, but we each have our own sets of keys for the house/cars.
How do people cope with shared keys and cars that set seats/mirrors/radio/climate control etc settings with the keys?

 

[KeithJenner]

I get that …. But on a shared set of keys if anyone uses the keys other than the owner they can’t opt out of the sharing while using the keys, with a phone they can switch it off at anytime.

This is true, but consider what the current situation is.

The family will still want a tag on the keys, so currently one person is able to track it and the other can’t turn that off. They are in exactly the same position tracking wise as you state. The only difference is that they can’t track the item themselves.

 

[KeithJenner]

One other point that I haven’t heard mentioned with relation, for example, to shared keys is that it would fact be very easy for people to turn tracking off. Much easier than the current situation with location sharing on your phone (where your partner is likely to become aware that you have turned it off)

All you have to do is take the tag off the keyring. If you are at work as an example and want to nip out and this not be known about by your partner you just slip the tag off your keys and leave it on your desk.

It really is an appallingly bad device to try to track people with, especially if they are aware that it can be viewed.

 

[mrklaw]

I get that …. But on a shared set of keys if anyone uses the keys other than the owner they can’t opt out of the sharing while using the keys, with a phone they can switch it off at anytime.

take the tag off?

the fundamental difference is we are talking about a family dynamic, not strangers being stalked. There is already a mechanism to opt into sharing location of your phone so some trust is assumed here. And if you’re borrowing someone’s keys that’s further assumed trust (you’re using their keys to access their house/car/whatever)

At that point I think you just need to provide the controls and let the family decide how best to utilise them. Right now it feels like the pendulum is way too far to the side of privacy/stalking etc which seems more of an edge case than families sharing stuff which happens every day

 

[leebroath]

I may be premature in this, but my 2 x 4 packs of Air Tags + Belkin holders are all boxed up and ready to be picked up tomorrow.

That's £250 back into my account, I'm in no rush to buy again until a software fix is released.

 

[ukms]

take the tag off?

the fundamental difference is we are talking about a family dynamic, not strangers being stalked. There is already a mechanism to opt into sharing location of your phone so some trust is assumed here. And if you’re borrowing someone’s keys that’s further assumed trust (you’re using their keys to access their house/car/whatever)

At that point I think you just need to provide the controls and let the family decide how best to utilise them. Right now it feels like the pendulum is way too far to the side of privacy/stalking etc which seems more of an edge case than families sharing stuff which happens every day

To be clear and on reflection my reference to being an edge case wasn't so much in relation families sharing keys, in my opinion its an edge case that every family member needs to track them in the event of loss. Of course many families share keys, but also many of those families are happy that one person can find them if they are lost.

As for privacy/stalking being an edge case ..... I'm not so sure that's correct and I doubt Apple would agree. It would only take a single adverse 'privacy event' involving an Airtag to make headline news and potentially damage the reputation of the product and possibly Apple. Has the lack of family sharing gained much traction or adverse publicity ? ... I think the answer is no. A few people returning their tags for a refund is not going to harm Apple in any way. Also remember that 'privacy' means different things in different countries and Apple have to navigate the complexities of a global market, much the same as they do with legal issues associated with selling other products, non of which happened on day 1.

As i've mentioned before I believe there will be a sensible solution in a future update that will have appropriate checks and balances.

Just my 2c worth

 

[mrklaw]

I don’t share keys and agree it may not be that common. But have had many situations where keys have been lost (usually the kids) and in those situations me or my wife being able to track would be useful- especially if the kids are at school/friends and we’re at home so we can check different locations. Currently they should be able to point us roughly to the right address/location but then we’d be stuck if they weren’t with us.

I do hope and think they’ll adjust soon enough, and the increased network and no need to have an app running in the background makes them way more robust than tile already

 

[Zabobon]

I've had the AirTags a few days now and they are working really well. Already made use of one when I left my wallet at home - instead of panicking and imagining it might have fallen out of my pocket I just opened the FindMy App on the iPhone and saw the wallet was safely at home.

My wife and I are using same AppleID so we are able to find each others keys using her iPhone or mine.

In answer to my original question (which started this thread) - I haven't done any special settings at all. Just held the AirTags next to my iPhone and named them.

My daughter has her own AppleID. For the moment her keys are with us at home as she is at boarding school. So, they are on my AppleID until she leaves us I suppose, at which point maybe Apple will have allowed Families to Share AirTags. If not, I will transfer that AirTag to her AppleID.

I now get why Apple has implemented AirTags without Family Sharing. @ukms has explained it much better that I could:

As for privacy/stalking being an edge case ..... I'm not so sure that's correct and I doubt Apple would agree. It would only take a single adverse 'privacy event' involving an Airtag to make headline news and potentially damage the reputation of the product and possibly Apple. Has the lack of family sharing gained much traction or adverse publicity ? ... I think the answer is no. A few people returning their tags for a refund is not going to harm Apple in any way. Also remember that 'privacy' means different things in different countries and Apple have to navigate the complexities of a global market, much the same as they do with legal issues associated with selling other products, non of which happened on day 1.

 

[Itinj24]

To be clear and on reflection my reference to being an edge case wasn't so much in relation families sharing keys, in my opinion its an edge case that every family member needs to track them in the event of loss. Of course many families share keys, but also many of those families are happy that one person can find them if they are lost.

As for privacy/stalking being an edge case ..... I'm not so sure that's correct and I doubt Apple would agree. It would only take a single adverse 'privacy event' involving an Airtag to make headline news and potentially damage the reputation of the product and possibly Apple. Has the lack of family sharing gained much traction or adverse publicity ? ... I think the answer is no. A few people returning their tags for a refund is not going to harm Apple in any way. Also remember that 'privacy' means different things in different countries and Apple have to navigate the complexities of a global market, much the same as they do with legal issues associated with selling other products, non of which happened on day 1.

As i've mentioned before I believe there will be a sensible solution in a future update that will have appropriate checks and balances.

Just my 2c worth

Apple has always been able to implement hardware/software variations in accordance with different global market requirements . ECG on the Apple Watch and the 5G mmwv antenna on the iPhone come to mind. Nobody cared about privacy with Bluetooth trackers until Apple entered the game. Possibly, since Apple’s forte is privacy, they’re going above and beyond to prove to the masses that this can be achieved. I personally think it’s above and overboard. There is nothing to convince me otherwise that these rather basic Bluetooth trackers specifically designed for locating items need to be so privacy focused when it comes to family sharing within the family. If the family member is so concerned, then remove yourself from family sharing altogether.

 

[Itinj24]

Lots of reports of the AirTag are saying that they’re not good for the tracking and location of people. Apparently, it’s the opposite if there is such a cause for concern. Someone mentioned previously that Apple deliberately left out instructions to not make it so obvious. However with all the reports on privacy concerns and tracking people being made… I’m gonna put one in each of my kids’ pockets. They’re seven and five years old. While it might not be great at tracking people, it’s something better than nothing. Plenty of evil and child abductions in the world. Now if only my wife can have eyes on this too via family sharing 🤦🏻

Also, if your seriously worried about where your spouse is or your spouse knowing where you are, maybe you should reconsider that spouse or at least remove yourself from family sharing so the rest of the families based on trust can live in harmony. Someone that can be tracked maliciously means they can also be tracked in the event they don’t show up where they’re supposed causing worry…

Absolutely ridiculous to not have these show in Family Sharing when the person opted into Family Sharing. Just remove yourself if you want to live a private life and not cripple the functionality for other families.

 

[ukms]

Apple has always been able to implement hardware/software variations in accordance with different global market requirements . ECG on the Apple Watch and the 5G mmwv antenna on the iPhone come to mind. Nobody cared about privacy with Bluetooth trackers until Apple entered the game. Possibly, since Apple’s forte is privacy, they’re going above and beyond to prove to the masses that this can be achieved. I personally think it’s above and overboard. There is nothing to convince me otherwise that these rather basic Bluetooth trackers specifically designed for locating items need to be so privacy focused when it comes to family sharing within the family. If the family member is so concerned, then remove yourself from family sharing altogether.

Completely agree with you ….. but as I mentioned navigating the global market with the AW ECG functionality didn’t all happen on day 1, it’s still rolling out now after a considerable time.

As for nobody caring about Bluetooth trackers before …… that maybe because nobody has really offered such a device AND publicised it as much as apple have.

 

[ukms]

Lots of reports of the AirTag are saying that they’re not good for the tracking and location of people. Apparently, it’s the opposite if there is such a cause for concern. Someone mentioned previously that Apple deliberately left out instructions to not make it so obvious. However with all the reports on privacy concerns and tracking people being made… I’m gonna put one in each of my kids’ pockets. They’re seven and five years old. While it might not be great at tracking people, it’s something better than nothing. Plenty of evil and child abductions in the world. Now if only my wife can have eyes on this too via family sharing 🤦🏻

Also, if your seriously worried about where your spouse is or your spouse knowing where you are, maybe you should reconsider that spouse or at least remove yourself from family sharing so the rest of the families based on trust can live in harmony. Someone that can be tracked maliciously means they can also be tracked in the event they don’t show up where they’re supposed causing worry…

Absolutely ridiculous to not have these show in Family Sharing when the person opted into Family Sharing. Just remove yourself if you want to live a private life and not cripple the functionality for other families.

Absolutely see what you say but you perhaps you lose sight of the fact that it’s not all about families and spouses etc and it’s not all about US law ….. it’s a big wide world that Apple sell to.

I’m sure it will all come good in the end and you and your wife can track your kids. 😃

(or for the time being you could always share your iCloud account with your wife )

 

[Itinj24]

Absolutely see what you say but you perhaps you lose sight of the fact that it’s not all about families and spouses etc and it’s not all about US law ….. it’s a big wide world that Apple sell to.

I’m sure it will all come good in the end and you and your wife can track your kids. 😃

(or for the time being you could always share your iCloud account with your wife )

Ok but those that are on family sharing should be able to, umm, I don’t know, family share? lol. If you want privacy, don’t do family sharing. That simple. From what I understand, Tile is able to share trackers. This only became a big deal when Apple entered the market.

We have a full HomeKit smart home and sharing an AppleId would cripple that lol.