5 Real-Life Examples of How I Use AirTags in 2024
I know that AirTags aren’t new and that it’s almost 2025. But there is a lot to talk about, especially if you are new to AirTags or Apple as a whole.
If like me, you often misplace your keys or your wallet, you need an AirTag. Not only will it help you find them by ringing a chime, but it will also show you where they are on the map.
If you are nearby, your iPhone will lead you straight to them with the help of Precision Finding, which shows you the distance and what direction to head in. However, this feature is only available on certain iPhone models.
I’ve used many trackers over the years, such as Tile, Chipolo, notiOne and Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. But out of all these trackers, the AirTag remains my favourite.
Anyway, in this article, I wanted to share 5 real-life examples of how I use AirTags in 2024…
1. On my keys
I don’t know about you, but somehow I always misplace my keys, and I only realise it in urgent situations. For example, when I need to open the door to receive a package or when I’m leaving the house to catch a train.
I’ve been using trackers on my keys for a long time, but the AirTag seems to work best, as it always helps me find my keys and I don’t tend to face any connection issues.
I’ve attached my AirTag to my keys using the PITAKA PitaTag, which is a multi-tool accessory that features a space for an AirTag. I think that this is an excellent way to hold your AirTag on your keys, especially if you work an IT job like me.
2. Inside my wallet
I don’t tend to take my wallet with me often, as I primarily tend to use Apple Pay, and I keep a magnetic card wallet attached to my iPhone. But there are times when I need access to an actual wallet, like when I travel or when I need to take cash out of the bank.
In the event that I can’t find my wallet, I keep an AirTag inside the coin slot so that I can find it when I need to. I know that you can buy wallets with dedicated AirTag slots, but I don’t tend to use my wallet frequently, and I like my traditional wallet. For those interested, I have a generic wallet I purchased from a souvenir shop in Poland a few years ago.
If you do use a traditional wallet, an AirTag can be a lifesaver. It will help you find your wallet, whether you’ve left it at the shop (it does happen—from an ex-retail employee) or misplaced it somewhere in your car or house. It can definitely sort a stressful situation.
3. Inside my bicycle
I keep an AirTag inside my bicycle so that I can hopefully track my bike if it ever gets stolen.
There are many cool gadgets you can buy online that will hold your AirTag. From doing a quick Google search, I discovered that you can buy a bike bell with a slot for an AirTag, you can buy reflectors, lights, and many other mounts, some of which go inside the frame.
Using an AirTag gives me a piece of mind that if my bike is stolen, I could potentially have it recovered if the AirTag isn’t discovered.
4. Inside luggage when I travel
A very clever way of using your AirTag is inside your luggage, especially if you are travelling by plane and have hold luggage. I simply put the AirTag inside my bag, and I am able to track it as it goes through the airport.
Before takeoff, I can check whether the bag has made it onto the plane, which gives me peace of mind that the bag will arrive with me on the other end. If, for some reason, it doesn’t, I can always tell the lost baggage desk where it was last seen in the hope that it will help them find it faster.
I also like to have an AirTag inside my backpack when I travel by train or coach, as things do get stolen, whether it’s somebody accidentally grabbing the wrong bag or intentionally.
5. To remind me that I left something behind
I use this feature for many items, including my AirPods Pro, my iPad Pro, and my keys.
It essentially sends you a notification if you left a compatible item behind, which is great for when you accidentally leave your keys or your AirPods on your desk at work.
What makes this feature particularly good is that using the Find My app, you can add locations where if you leave the item at a certain location, you will not get notified. How cool is that?
Do AirTags Work?
I always see this question asked online. The simple answer is yes, they do work. I’ve had several AirTags over the last two years, and every time I needed to use them, they worked as intended.
But you have to understand that they are not anti-theft tracking devices; they are designed to help you find lost items. They are ideal if you’ve lost your keys or wallet near your iPhone, as the Find My app will take you to the precise location.
But if you’ve lost your keys in a shop or in a field, you can locate them with a map. Just be aware that the speed of the location updates depends on the proximity of other Apple devices to your AirTag. AirTags use Apple’s Find My network, which uses Bluetooth signals from nearby Apple devices to relay the location of your AirTag.
So if someone has stolen your lost item or took it with them to hand in to lost property, the location of the AirTag may take longer to update if it’s not near another Apple device.
I know that I’ve mentioned that I use an AirTag with my bicycle, and I am aware that the AirTag may only help me find it up to a certain extent. But that is enough for me to get an idea of where my bike may be.
The thing I like about AirTags is that if someone scans your AirTag with any smartphone, it can tell them how to contact you. This works by enabling Lost mode within the Find My app.
In terms of battery, your AirTag will warn you when the battery starts getting low, and they have a replaceable CR2032 3V coin battery. The battery is easily accessible and doesn’t require any tools, but it may present a chocking hazard for small children.
Should you buy AirTags?
To summarise this article, I think that AirTags are fantastic devices that help you find your lost items. But they are only compatible with iPhones, and certain features, such as Precision Finding are only available on certain models. I recommend checking out the Apple website for more information on compatibility.
But with that in mind, if you do have a compatible iPhone, I find them to be incredible, especially when finding lost items around the house.
If you don’t tend to lose or misplace your things, AirTags may not be for you unless you plan to use them to ensure your luggage reaches the plane with you.
Overall, I am incredibly satisfied with the AirTag, and I still think that they are still great in 2024 (almost 2025).
But I do think it would be nice for Apple to release a new version of this device, but I’m not sure what there is to upgrade in a newer version.
What are your thoughts on this?
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