How to Use Precision Finding to Locate an AirTag With iPhone 11 and iPhone 12

[MacRumors]

Apple's AirTags are small, button-shaped devices that are designed to be attached to items like keys and wallets to allow these accessories to be tracked using Bluetooth right alongside Apple devices in the Find My app.

If you've set up an AirTag and attached it to an item, you can track said item in the Find My app, should you misplace it. Find My uses Bluetooth signals from a lost AirTag to relay its location back to its owner. Apart from Bluetooth, however, each AirTag is also equipped with a U1 Ultra Wideband chip, and on devices that also have U1 chips, there's a Precision Finding feature that enables you to more accurately determine the distance and direction of a lost AirTag when it's in range, when compared to Bluetooth alone.

If you're aiming to find a lost item and you have an ‌iPhone 11‌ or 12, Precision Finding will direct you to the exact location of your lost AirTag using input from the camera, accelerometer, and gyroscope, with guidance provided through sound, haptics, and visual feedback. Here's how to use it.

How to Find the Precise Location of an AirTag

1. Launch the Find My app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Items.
3. Tap the AirTag you want to get the precise location for.
   
4. Tap Find. It should say "Nearby" underneath if the Precision Finding feature is available.
5. Now start moving around to locate the AirTag and follow the onscreen instructions. You should see an arrow pointing in the direction of the AirTag, an approximate distance telling you how far away it is, and a note if it's located on a different floor.
   

As you approach an item, you'll feel haptic feedback from your phone and there will be audio cues to let you know that you're approaching an item. The AirTag graphic on the iPhone will also shift as you get nearer to it. Precision Finding exits when you've successfully located your AirTag and your iPhone or Apple device is in very close proximity.

Note that Ultra Wideband isn't universally supported worldwide, therefore Precision Finding won't work in some countries. For more details, see our guide on what to know if you plan to travel abroad with AirTags.

Article Link: How to Use Precision Finding to Locate an AirTag With iPhone 11 and iPhone 12

 

[sh20]

copy and pasting my comment from a previous article as it actually better suits this one:

I have popped one on the cat to see how it fairs, he’s quite a large breed so it doesn’t look too out of place, but it is probably too large for most house cats (but only in the sense that it would look strange).

One thing I don’t understand, is why they can’t/don’t augment on the Y-axis when using find mode. It does (sometimes) tell you the item is possibily on a different floor, but what you see on the screen doesn’t actually reflect exactly where the item is (on both axis).

For example, if someone has put an item on a shelf in a bookcase, you wouldn’t know which shelf it’s on.

 

[Mansu944]

Honestly, without the AR and the fact that these are 2019 tech, I am going to wait for AirTag2

 

[macduke]

I just realized I bought a four pack of AirTags and nothing to mount them. Whoops. Well, one of them I wanted to go into a case for my new Apple TV remote and one of them I wanted to stick on my drone with some 3M strips or something.

 

[TheDailyApple]

I just realized I bought a four pack of AirTags and nothing to mount them. Whoops. Well, one of them I wanted to go into a case for my new Apple TV remote and one of them I wanted to stick on my drone with some 3M strips or something.

I don’t have a drone, but using an AirTag on one is a great idea. I’ve had friends who searched HOURS for crashed drones.

 

[fumi2014]

So why can't Apple Watch Series 6 offer this functionality? It has the U1 chip.

 

[BF1M]

So why can't Apple Watch Series 6 offer this functionality? It has the U1 chip.

Great point, it’ll come I bet. Does the U1 chip get used at all in the Series 6?

 

[BF1M]

I want a credit card size\shaped AirTag. Even if it’s disposable after the life of the battery.

 

[Knightcastle]

Honestly, without the AR and the fact that these are 2019 tech, I am going to wait for AirTag2

it’s $29.

 

[sirozha]

Honestly, without the AR and the fact that these are 2019 tech, I am going to wait for AirTag2

I’m going to wait for airtag 3.

 

[mxrider88]

So why can't Apple Watch Series 6 offer this functionality? It has the U1 chip.

To leverage that you’ll need airtag 8 liquid pro max xdr plus

 

[mizzoucat]

Under “Find My” and “Items”, my AirTag says “Directions” and not “Find”. I have an iPhone 12 Pro and my AirTag is within 20 feet of my phone.

 

[apparatchik]

I’m going to wait for airtag 3.

You early adopters, I’ll let you guinea-pig this one for at least a decade, AirTags XS will be the time I break the bank for these babies.

 

[rysmtihaz]

Under “Find My” and “Items”, my AirTag says “Directions” and not “Find”. I have an iPhone 12 Pro and my AirTag is within 20 feet of my phone.

Same thing is happening to my friend.

 

[rysmtihaz]

Under “Find My” and “Items”, my AirTag says “Directions” and not “Find”. I have an iPhone 12 Pro and my AirTag is within 20 feet of my phone.

Settings.
Privacy.
Location services
Find my
Precise turned on.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Under “Find My” and “Items”, my AirTag says “Directions” and not “Find”. I have an iPhone 12 Pro and my AirTag is within 20 feet of my phone.

Settings.
Privacy.
Location services
Find my
Precise turned on.

It also appears to be location related... I was out of the house running errands with my AirTagged backpack at home. Find My only offered "Directions" until I got back home. When I got home, it switched to "Find".

 

[PhillyGuy72]

I tried it with my keys. Left them on the desk, I went downstairs and hit "Find"
The mapping thing worked, but pointed out to me I was "there" 1st floor, directly below my keys located on 2nd floor. Hmm? Also kept telling me "Low Light" - why do I need to turn on the flashlight?

All in all, it should help a lot when I do misplace my darn keys - which is frequently! I wont be searching all around the darn house wasting valuable time.

 

[BvizioN]

Honestly, without the AR and the fact that these are 2019 tech, I am going to wait for AirTag2

Why AirTag 2. Comon sense would tell me AirTag 3 would be even better. And if you are willing to wait a bit longer, AirTag 4 will rock. Spending life waiting for stuff is fun, isn't it?

 

[Joniz]

The mapping thing worked, but pointed out to me I was "there" 1st floor, directly below my keys located on 2nd floor. Hmm?

Yeah, the same thing got Khan in the end.

 

[BuffaloTF]

I’m going to wait for airtag 3.

At that point you should just wait for the AirTag Pro.

 

[citysnaps]

I tried it with my keys. Left them on the desk, I went downstairs and hit "Find"
The mapping thing worked, but pointed out to me I was "there" 1st floor, directly below my keys located on 2nd floor. Hmm? Also kept telling me "Low Light" - why do I need to turn on the flashlight?

All in all, it should help a lot when I do misplace my darn keys - which is frequently! I wont be searching all around the darn house wasting valuable time.

Could be because Find My uses input from iPhone's camera in addition to its gyro and accelerometers for precision finding.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Waiting for the next AirTags include TouchID, Camera, 4 GB, and have Space Grey option.

 

[TheWatchfulOne]

I’m going to wait for airtag 3.

If you wait just a little longer you could have the (completely redesigned?) AirTag 4.

 

[cable]

A small thing that really annoys me is that the stainless steel part is almost flat. I wish it was so I could easily stick it to things

 

[gene731]

Waiting for the next AirTags include TouchID, Camera, 4 GB, and have Space Grey option.

As long as it is a 1080p camera. If only 720 then I will wait it out until they start putting 1080p cameras in.