AirTags in luggage when flying

[Whoopie]

Swiss Airline lost our luggage for six days recently. So i bought AirTags in case this ever happens again, so I can tell them where to look, however I don’t tr@vel all the time, only a few times each year


If i am using AirTag in a suitcase but i am not traveling this month what should i do to save battery and not get notices that it is near me. I did tell it not to send left behind messages if I leave it at my home!

 

[MacInWin]

There is no way to turn them off. I have a set of four for the exact same reason. The have been in place about a year. One is showing lower battery levels, but the other three seem to be more than 50% life left according to the little icon. About the only way to save the battery is to remove it from the tag.

 

[Whoopie]

There is no way to turn them off. I have a set of four for the exact same reason. The have been in place about a year. One is showing lower battery levels, but the other three seem to be more than 50% life left according to the little icon. About the only way to save the battery is to remove it from the tag.

Thank you.

 

[pixelrogue]

Are the batteries replaceable?

So let's say someone stole the luggage, would you NOT want the alarm to beep so there is a chance of catching perpetrator?

 

[MacInWin]

Are the batteries replaceable?

So let's say someone stole the luggage, would you NOT want the alarm to beep so there is a chance of catching perpetrator?

Yes, the batteries are a standard "coin" battery, CR2032, I think.

As for the alarm, I really don't understand the question. The alarm beeps when the tag has stayed near a given iPhone for a long time and the owner of the iPhone isn't the owner of the tag. It's to warn the iPhone owner that they MAY be being stalked by the Tag. The downside to that alarm is that if, in your scenario, someone stole the bag and kept it with them for long enough, the tag would start to make the alarm sound if they had an iPhone.

I have tag hangers on my luggage, sturdy wire ones that hold the tags firmly locked in place. The idea is to discourage a thief by displaying the tag, while enabling the broadest range by having the tags outside the bag, not inside. Worked well on two international trips I have made in the past six months. My reason for having the tags is not so much about theft as it is about lost luggage. Having lost a bag before AirTags came along, it would be very useful to be able to tell the employee at lost luggage that the last time the bag was seen was x minutes ago at <<this>> location. It also gives me some confidence when waiting for the baggage carousel to start that my bags are actually somewhere in my arrival airport, not left behind in the departure airport. I was even able to see that the bags were near the airplane before they closed the doors and asked for electronics to be shut down. Comforting on long journeys.

So, while I would like the alarm not to go off to alert any thief that I know where they are, that ability is overridden by the need for a potential victim of stalking to know they are being followed by a tag.

 

[pixelrogue]

Yes, the batteries are a standard "coin" battery, CR2032, I think.

As for the alarm, I really don't understand the question. The alarm beeps when the tag has stayed near a given iPhone for a long time and the owner of the iPhone isn't the owner of the tag. It's to warn the iPhone owner that they MAY be being stalked by the Tag. The downside to that alarm is that if, in your scenario, someone stole the bag and kept it with them for long enough, the tag would start to make the alarm sound if they had an iPhone.

I have tag hangers on my luggage, sturdy wire ones that hold the tags firmly locked in place. The idea is to discourage a thief by displaying the tag, while enabling the broadest range by having the tags outside the bag, not inside. Worked well on two international trips I have made in the past six months. My reason for having the tags is not so much about theft as it is about lost luggage. Having lost a bag before AirTags came along, it would be very useful to be able to tell the employee at lost luggage that the last time the bag was seen was x minutes ago at <<this>> location. It also gives me some confidence when waiting for the baggage carousel to start that my bags are actually somewhere in my arrival airport, not left behind in the departure airport. I was even able to see that the bags were near the airplane before they closed the doors and asked for electronics to be shut down. Comforting on long journeys.

So, while I would like the alarm not to go off to alert any thief that I know where they are, that ability is overridden by the need for a potential victim of stalking to know they are being followed by a tag.

Right - wish there was a solition that protected people from being stalked and not making it obvious an air tag is in play in situations such as stolen baggage or vehicle.

 

[MacInWin]

To be honest, having the tag visible is more likely to deter theft than putting it inside. The thief will look at it and if they know what it is, leave that bag alone and steal one without a visible AirTag. The one I use is this:

Belkin Secure Holder with Wire Cable for AirTag - White

The Belkin Secure Holder with Wire Cable features added layers of security that ensure your AirTag is always protected. Buy online now at apple.com.

www.apple.com

The wire is hardened, the case is very sturdy and locked with an Allen wrench screw that holds the two halves together. Not perfect, but just enough to have the would-be thief move on. As the old joke says, I don't have to be faster than the bear, I just have to be faster than you...