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iPhone 8 Plus - Unable To Scan Found AirTag

Snapperjw

Snapperjw

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 8, 2007
341
295
Hi All,

So I have my Airtags set up using my iPhone 12. I also have a work iPhone 8 Plus but when I try the feature ‘Identify Found Item’ and place the Airtag near the top of the iPhone nothing happens. The ‘Searching For items’ continues to run but it doesn’t find the Airtag.

Have I got a setting incorrect? Does it not work with the iPhone 8 Plus?

Seems pretty useless if I were to lose the airtag as another iPhone user is not able to scan it.

Thanks
 
Last edited:
You should have your phone on top of the tag, not the tag on top of your phone. Does that make a difference?
 
Same here. Can't NFC an AirTag with my iPhone X or my iPhone 7 workphone.
However when I tested with an iPhone XR i got the Pop-up message on display.
 
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Well it is good to read it is not just me. This slightly negates the point of AirTags if another iPhone can’t read the AirTag. I lose my bag, someone finds it but their iPhone device can’t read it 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Snapperjw said:
Hi All,

So I have my Airtags set up using my iPhone 12. I also have a work iPhone 8 Plus but when I try the feature ‘Identify Found Item’ and place the Airtag near the top of the iPhone nothing happens. The ‘Searching For items’ continues to run but it doesn’t find the Airtag.

Have I got a setting incorrect? Does it not work with the iPhone 8 Plus?

Seems pretty useless if I were to lose the airtag as another iPhone user is not able to scan it.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Is your 8+ on iOS 14.5?
 
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Sure is. Runnning 14.5.1 and still not working 😟

No matter where I place the AirTag nothing happens or appears. Oh and I have tried numerous AirTags
 

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chrfr said:
Airtag support was added in 14.5, so you shouldn't expect 14.4 to work. You need to update.
Click to expand...
Isn't it supposed to be able to read the NFC tag, and/or connect and update a tag's location? I thought the billion devices that can connect to a tag to provide location data wasn't limited to 14.5 updated devices only. I set up it with my iphone 12 running 14.5, it is our other old iphone that doesn't seem to do anything. If tracking is limited to devices running ios 14.5 that limits usefulness for the next several months at least.
 
michaelb5000 said:
Isn't it supposed to be able to read the NFC tag, and/or connect and update a tag's location? I thought the billion devices that can connect to a tag to provide location data wasn't limited to 14.5 updated devices only. I set up it with my iphone 12 running 14.5, it is our other old iphone that doesn't seem to do anything. If tracking is limited to devices running ios 14.5 that limits usefulness for the next several months at least.
Click to expand...
There's nothing that's going to be happening that you can see with the Find My Network. That's the whole point of it.
 
chrfr said:
There's nothing that's going to be happening that you can see with the Find My Network. That's the whole point of it.
Click to expand...
Sorry if I am being dense. Just like the OP, our iphone 7 has "items" under findmy and has the option to scan for NFC tags near it. That doesn't do anything. But also, I left the airtag and the iphone 7 near each other for a long period of time, and I would have thought the iphone 7 would update the airtag location. I didn't try that hard or test this several times, but I think you are saying it will never work and that a phone running an ios under 14.5 will never provide location data to a nearby airtag? That significantly reduces the size of the installed based that can track tags.
 
will just have to ask a passer buy with a new iPhone to scan it for you.
 
Make sure the top of your phone is over the tag and the white plastic side faces your phone.
 
Might be in the specs, but has anyone got it to work? Mine doesnt. iPhone 8+
 
Hi,
iPhone 8+ latest IOS and cannot identify an AirTag. Has anyone found the solution? Thank you
 
You guys DO have bluetooth turned on, right? The connection and reporting that is done with iPhones passing by is by bluetooth, not NFC. All iPhones that support ApplePay have NFC support. (doing a quick Google, that started with the iPhone 6) - though it looks like AirTag support actually starts with the 6s.

I'm currently running iOS 15.2 - people that want the latest features should be running current iOS code. :)
 
fischersd said:
You guys DO have bluetooth turned on, right? The connection and reporting that is done with iPhones passing by is by bluetooth, not NFC. All iPhones that support ApplePay have NFC support. (doing a quick Google, that started with the iPhone 6) - though it looks like AirTag support actually starts with the 6s.

I'm currently running iOS 15.2 - people that want the latest features should be running current iOS code. :)
Click to expand...
Hi, Thanks for the response. Yes I have bluetooth turned on and on 15.2.
 
if you're trying to identify a found tag, you must get it really close to your phone.
Best results are holding the tag against ( touching) the top center edge of the back of the phone (kinda next to the camera) For phones with a notch, hold it against the back, right behind the notch.
 
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