The Independent reviews Apple’s new AirTag, a small accessory that helps keep track of and find the items that matter most with Apple’s Find My app. Whether attached to a handbag, keys, backpack, or other items, AirTag taps into the vast, global Find My network and can help locate a lost item, all while keeping location data private and anonymous with end-to-end encryption. AirTag can be purchased in one and four packs for just $29 and $99
The first thing you’ll notice when you open up the box is simply how tiny the Apple AirTag is. It looks like a little 32mm button badge of the kind that school kids used to attach to their Nike backpacks to look cool. Except it’s shiny, and a little weightier.
If you want to attach your AirTag to your keys or your AirPods, you’re going to need to buy a separate accessory to put your AirTag in – something that will boost the price considerably. An Apple-made leather keyring (£35, Apple.com) and a leather loop (£39, Apple.com) are both more expensive than the AirTag itself.
That said, there are already dozens of cheaper third-party AirTag accessories floating around online right now.
MacDailyNews Take: For example, check out this US$4.99 Soft Silicone AirTag Keyring Case from Amazon.
Once you’re all set up and have your AirTag attached to every item under the sun, it’s ridiculously easy to track them. If it’s in Bluetooth range, asking Siri where the item is will force the AirTag to chirp. You can also get it to make a sound through the Find My app, which is where the most interesting feature of the AirTag comes into play… there’s no GPS in these little item finders, but what it does have, no company can beat.
AirTags use Apple’s enormous network of devices connected to Find My to help locate your item, something that Apple says is nearing a billion devices globally. If you lose it inside a shopping centre, chances are you’ll be able to track it to its address. iPhones will keep pinging it as people walk by, and all your location data is encrypted and anonymised.
The AirTag is incredibly cheap for what it is, and it works like an absolute charm. For any iPhone owner prone to losing things, investing in a pack of four might be one of the best decisions you ever make. Precision tracking works wonderfully well when you can get a signal, and the fact it’s powered by removable batteries is a real bonus in our eyes.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple has yet another winner on their hands with AirTag!