So… I just paid 26k cash for my new car that my boyfriend drives. I put an air tag in the glovebox. I have a 12 max pro he has a 12 pro. Will the air tag notify him that it’s in the car? It doesn’t really show his location real time. It’s very laggy. I didn’t want him to think I was taking him but I also don’t really want to tell him it’s in there. Morally I’m probably wrong but really just need to know if it’s going to constantly notify him it’s in there. Thx
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Tracking my car (which holds my boyfriend)
- Thread starter Flandurka1
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
First, make sure your insurance covers him. Regarding Airtags, "if an AirTag is separated for a period of time from its owner, it will make a sound to alert those nearby."
If you don't trust him - I wouldn't give him free reign with your car. It's your money, not his.
If you don't trust him - I wouldn't give him free reign with your car. It's your money, not his.
Based on what I've read, I'd opine that you may be okay here for now. Apparently, the AirTag doesn't notify someone of its existence unless it has been out of range of its owner for 3 days + has been moving with someone who isn't its owner for 3 days. And even then, I've seen some reports of it not doing anything for longer. So assuming your phone pings the AirTag in the car every couple days at least + your boyfriend isn't spending all his waking moments in the car, I'd bet it wouldn't notify him. It'll see you often, so it's not "lost." And it won't always be moving with him 100% of the time, so he himself isn't being tracked necessarily.
All that said, I suspect we'll see a lot of revisions to the way this works. I wouldn't bank on this functionality either way. And I won't get into the moral implications; that's on you.
All that said, I suspect we'll see a lot of revisions to the way this works. I wouldn't bank on this functionality either way. And I won't get into the moral implications; that's on you.
Expecting it to be real time is misplaced. Find my friends won't show someone's location real time via their iPhone it oniy updates periodically. By some accounts air tags only ping every 15 minutes so that will be even more delayed.
People are confusing the 3 days metric (lost contact with owner) with Apple's anti-stalking, privacy protection methods. Yes, it's supposed to notify anyone with an iPhone if it has been following them when they reach a location of significance (typically their work or home address that they have set in their card in their contact list).
Oh...and if you're in the car, the alert won't go off, as the AirTag just thinks it's travelling with you.
That being said, if they haven't set that up, they may not get the notifications.
You should put the AirTag in the trunk. Thereby, the chirping to be found that it DOES start doing after 3 days likely won't be audible to your boyfriend while he's driving. (it's supposed to chirp when it detects movement after 3 days in isolation).
Oh...and if you're in the car, the alert won't go off, as the AirTag just thinks it's travelling with you.
That being said, if they haven't set that up, they may not get the notifications.
You should put the AirTag in the trunk. Thereby, the chirping to be found that it DOES start doing after 3 days likely won't be audible to your boyfriend while he's driving. (it's supposed to chirp when it detects movement after 3 days in isolation).
In any case, there are better devices for tracking cars. Typically these are devices having both GPS and Cellular connectivity then gets hooked up into the car's electrical system. They can be configured to reply with their coordinates upon request (i.e. send it an SMS and it'll reply with latitude / longitude) as well as to shut down the car remotely in case it was stolen.
Typically these devices are less than $100 not including installation nor cellular service. Much better functionality than an AirTag, and probably worth while to track a $26k item. Here is one example of such device.
Last edited:
Go buy a Bouncie. Actually suited for tracking a car and far more discreet - plugs in to the OBD port under your dash.
Not that it’s any of my business, but you trust your boyfriend enough to drive your car, but you want to track him? You know if he finds out, he’s going to be hella pissed. Is it worth losing the relationship over? Are you looking for something in particular? Something that can’t be done by simply having a heartfelt conversation? If dude’s a liar, maybe time to dump his ass? Ah, like I said, none of my business, I just hope you’re in an OK place. Technological solutions rarely solve emotional concerns, but economic realities make ideal relationships less likely.
If you have trust issues with him, then I'd say end that relationship. In other words, ABANDON SHIP!!!!
So tell the boyfriend you’ve put an airtag in the car? No, this isn’t just a precaution against theft, or that relationship is meeeeeeeeessed up.
He will be notified. My wife and I have 5 airtags between us. 4 registered to me, one to her. I've been notified that her airtag was following me when I went to pick up her purse that she forgot at a friend's house the night before.
One long weekend, we went for a walk with the dog, and she got notified my keys (in my pocket) were following her... despite the fact we were together, I had my phone with me, we are in the same Apple "family" and both share the same home address.
One long weekend, we went for a walk with the dog, and she got notified my keys (in my pocket) were following her... despite the fact we were together, I had my phone with me, we are in the same Apple "family" and both share the same home address.
your boyfriend is obsolete and no longer should get love updates. Find a 2nd generation boyfriend.
Wow.. I would dump you if you were my gf. Thats really messed up.
Ignoring the obvious trust issues here, surely your new car comes with GPS tracking built in? Heck, my 12 year old BMW has it. Can’t imagine a modern car wouldn’t have something like that…
Heh. I had a BMW of the same era - and it didn't have a web page that I could see the car's current location at will - it DID have recovery options that I could engage, should the car be stolen.
In today's models, I'd really be surprised to see manufacturers that offer this outside of a subscription / service.
Wow, I feel creepy just adding this thread to my ”watch list”. 
I wonder what the whole story is behind the mistrust?
I wonder what the whole story is behind the mistrust?
A good trusted way to track is to add each other to the Find My Profile and allow each other to be seen. No tag necessary.
OP has one post and hasn't revisited the thread. Trolling MacRumors? Either way there are better and more accurate devices to subversive tracking, as noted above.