Top 10 Creative Ways to Use Apple AirTags

Apple AirTags made a splash when the company introduced them in 2021. First marketed as a way to keep tabs on easy-to-lose personal belongings like your keys, they’ve since grown to have many other practical uses. If you’re considering bringing one into your life, you might be surprised by all the different ways to use AirTags.

What are AirTags used for?

If you’ve already purchased or are considering purchasing an AirTag, you most likely did so in hopes that you would never lose your keys again, or else to keep up with the other commonly misplaced belongings. AirTags’ tracking power can help you find and locate things like:

Wallets
Purses
Small tech gadgets
Handheld gaming devices
Phones
TV remotes
ID cards and badges
Tools
Small odds and ends

What you might not know is how to use AirTag for purposes beyond keeping track of your small devices.

How do AirTags work?

A lot of people might feel mystified by the basics of how to use an AirTag, how to find an AirTag, and how they even work at all. It’s actually simple: the AirTag sends out a Bluetooth signal to an iPhone by connecting it with the FindMy network, or using an Android via the AirTag app.

The trackable range of an AirTag is around 30 feet, since that’s the range of Bluetooth. That being said, you don’t need Wi-Fi to use an AirTag—in fact, they don’t connect to the internet at all, as they rely solely on a Bluetooth connection to work. You can connect up to 16 AirTags to your phone.

There’s no need to recharge AirTags, as they’re built with a CR2032 battery that can be replaced. The battery should last around a year with average levels of usage.

Discover other ways to use Apple AirTags

The peace of mind knowing you can prevent losing your things may be enough, but what if you could find some creative uses for AirTags that could save you other headaches as well?

If you think outside of the box, your AirTags can be incredibly helpful in so many ways. Here are 10 smart uses for Apple AirTags:

Attaching to dog and cat collars

If your pet is prone to roam, attach an AirTag to their collar, or get a collar made to hold an AirTag, and never worry again. Imagine that your pup jumps the fence, bolts out of the front door or gets himself lost at the dog park. You’ll no doubt be worried, but if his collar has an AirTag, you’ll know that you can easily track his location and get him back to safety. Similarly, if you have a cat who loves spending time outdoors, you can keep an eye on where she goes during her time outside (and find out which neighbors she’s taken a liking to). Not only can this keep her safer, but you can also enjoy learning what a cat might do on an outing.

Locating stolen bicycles

Most cyclists have to worry about bike thefts, whether your ride is potentially stolen from the garage or from a bike rack in broad daylight. Apart from using a secure bike lock, you can take extra steps in securing your bike by attaching an Apple AirTag—preferably somewhere hidden—and rest assured that in the event of a theft, you can track down your bike and get it back.

Extra car security

Keeping an AirTag in your car can not only help you track it down in the event it gets stolen, as with a bike. You can also use it for something more benign, like finding where you parked. How many times have you parked in a city’s downtown and lost track of where your car is? Although most iPhones and many portable GPS navigation systems can be used for the same thing, using the AirTag for car security is another smart way to use an AirTag without spending extra money on a separate device.

People living with dementia

Apple AirTags aren’t only for locating and keeping your material belongings safe. They can also help keep people safe. If you have a loved one who lives with dementia, you probably spend a lot of time worrying about them wandering off, getting lost or disoriented and having difficulty returning home. By stashing an AirTag in their favorite coat or bag (with their knowledge and consent) or even turning one into a necklace or bracelet they can wear, you can help them stay safe and easily find them in the event that they do wander off.

Keeping kids safe

If you have small children, you may have similar worries about losing track of their whereabouts, or worse, stranger danger. Equipping your kids with an AirTag can keep them safer. This is an especially smart use of an AirTag if you’re going on vacation or taking them someplace like an amusement park, where there will be crowds. But you might even consider giving them a tag to carry or wear on a grocery store outing or a trip to the mall if they are prone to walking or running off….or similar copy here. Some people have even sewn airtags into their kids clothing, or slipped them into shoes for extra peace of mind.

Just for fun scavenger hunts

Take a moment to step back from the strictly practical or safety uses of an Apple AirTag and consider a creative way to make use of them: scavenger hunts! Similar to Geocaching using a GPS tracker, you and your kids could have a blast tracking down hidden objects around your house, backyard, local park or any other area where you can stash some treasures and have your kids find them.

Keeping track of luggage

When you’re fresh off a plane from travel and ready to grab your luggage, the last thing you want is to stand around waiting for it endlessly as the carousel passes out suitcases and travel bags for seemingly, everyone else. Let’s say your luggage seems to be taking a while. You’ll probably start worrying that the airline lost it. If you have AirTags stashed inside, you can find out instantly if it’s onsite in the airport and just moving slow, or still somewhere 12 hours away. Even for that less-than-ideal outcome, you can keep track of your luggage throughout the time you have to wait for the airline to get it back to you.

Accountability when moving

Speaking of tracking things you’ve packed, a good use for AirTags is to help keep an eye on your belongings when you’ve packed them up to move. When you hire a moving company to pack and deliver your boxes and furniture, you want to make sure they’re honest. If you can monitor the moving truck in real time, you can keep them accountable.

Hiking and camping

When you’re in the backcountry, anything can happen. You might get lost on a trail after taking a wrong turn or missing a spur trail entrance. Perhaps you forget the exact location where your campsite is when you go out exploring for the day. Or maybe you want to keep tabs on your camping gear that you’ll leave behind during your time away from the camp. In any case, outfitting your gear with AirTags can be a smart way to stay safe and keep your supplies from walking off. Stow one in your tent; hang one at the trailhead to find your way back (just remember to grab it when you finish your hike); keep one in your backpack; stash one in your gear box. There are numerous ideas for creatively using an AirTag for wayfinding in the wilderness.

Visual impairment

Tech helps people with disabilities in many ways, and AirTags are no exception. For anyone living with visual impairments, finding basic items around the house can be a challenge. Another smart way to use AirTags is by securing them to common items like keys, and pairing them with accessibility settings on your iPhone to enable voiceover through the Precision Finding feature. This will allow you to track distance and direction when looking for an object. For example, your device will say something like, “your AirTag is two feet away to your left,” helping you navigate to the item you’re seeking.

The best uses for AirTags are the creative ones

Finding the best uses for AirTags is easy when you put some thought into it. They’re already great for basic household and personal use, but brainstorming ways to use them to their fullest potential can really change your life for the better.