Apple's AirTag Bluetooth Tracker is a small electronic device that emits a bluetooth signal that helps you find your items such as your keys, purse, or backpack. By placing an AirTag into your suitcase when packing, you can simply open up the Find My app on your iPhone and see exactly where your suitcase is located if it doesn't arrive on the baggage carousel.
By placing an AirTag inside your suitcase, it will be emitting a low-frequency Bluetooth signal that can get picked up by any iPhone in the world. If your luggage gets lost, you can see on the map exactly when and where your luggage was last detected - with almost a billion iPhones in the world today, you will have almost real-time tracking of where your suitcase is located.
Tile - The AirTag Alternative for Android Users
Apple's AirTags only work within the Apple ecosystem. If you are an Android user looking for a similar product to track your bags, you're in luck. The "Tile Pro" Bluetooth Tracker is the original bluetooth item tracker (it came out 8 years before Apple's AirTags), and works in much the same way as an AirTag, and is compatible with both iPhones and Androids.
By placing a Tile tracker into your suitcase, you can see where your misplaced luggage is by opening the Tile app on your phone. Just like the AirTags utilize Apple's network of iPhones around the world to detect the signal of your missing luggage, the Tile tracker uses it's network of users to help locate your misplaced suitcase.
We recommend using the "Tile Pro" for tracking your luggage, as it's increased range of 400 ft vs 250 ft makes it easier for your luggage's signal to be traced than the older "Tile Mate" tracker.
Are AirTags Allowed in Checked Luggage? Is it Safe to Use AirTags on a Plane?
Yes, you are allowed to place an AirTag into your checked luggage. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has confirmed that AirTags are allowed to be placed in checked baggage, and that it is safe to do so.
The AirTag's wireless signal will not affect the plane's communication equipment, and the miniscule amount of lithium in the battery is well below the threshold set out by the FAA.
Although there has been some misunderstanding regarding the banning of Bluetooth / Smart Luggage Trackers by some airlines, most notably Lufthansa, this has been cleared up and Lufthansa have confirmed that AirTags are allowed to be placed in checked luggage.
How AirTags Can be Used to Track Your Luggage
AirTags can be used to track luggage by attaching the small Bluetooth device to the luggage itself. Once the AirTag is attached, it can be paired with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch via the "Find My" app. From there, you can track the location of your luggage using the app.
AirTags have a Community Find feature that allows other Apple users to anonymously help locate lost AirTag-enabled items, such as your missing suitcase. This means that if an airline misplaces your luggage, other Apple users in the area can help locate it, increasing the chances of finding it quickly.
When the luggage is within range of any iPhone in the world, the AirTag's location will be updated in real-time with your luggage's location showing on your device. If the luggage is out of range of any iPhone, your luggage's last known location will still be displayed, so you can pinpoint where your luggage was last known to be.
