10 Hacks to Maximize Your AirTags’ Potential

AirTags are incredibly useful trackers that can be easily set up and used to locate missing items. However, there’s a lot more you can do with them beyond just tracking lost items. In this article, we’ll explore 10 essential hacks every AirTag user should know to make the most of their trackers.

Source: lifehacker.com

1. Use Your Apple Watch to Find Your AirTags

AirTags are designed to help you find missing items, but did you know you can also use your Apple Watch to track them down? To do this, you’ll need an Apple Watch Series 9 or newer, or an Ultra 2 or newer, as well as a second-generation AirTag. To set it up, open Control Center on your watch, scroll to the bottom, and choose ‘Edit.’ Tap the (+) icon, choose ‘Find Items,’ then select ‘Find AirTag.’ Choose an item from your existing AirTags, tap ‘Done,’ and you’re set to find that item in the future. When you need to, return to Control Center, tap the ‘Find AirTag’ button, and if the AirTag is within range, you’ll see guided directions on your Apple Watch.

Benefits: Using your Apple Watch to find your AirTags provides an additional way to locate missing items, making it easier to find what you need quickly and efficiently.

2. Ask Siri to Quickly Locate Your AirTag

Depending on your situation, your fastest location method might be via Siri. If you’re sure the AirTag you’re missing is nearby, just pull out your iPhone (or your Apple Watch) and ask Siri where your item is. For example, you can say ‘Hey Siri, where is my backpack?’ or ‘Where are my keys?’ Siri will ‘think’ for a moment, and if it can find them, will start pinging your AirTag, so you can follow the sound to locate them.

Benefits: Asking Siri to quickly locate your AirTag provides a fast and convenient way to find missing items, making it easier to get back what you need in a hurry.

3. Whitelist Locations to Cut Down on ‘Left Behind’ Alerts

Apple’s ‘Left Behind’ alerts can be useful, but they can also be annoying if you’re leaving an item behind in a known location. To avoid this, you should whitelist specific locations where your AirTags can stay behind without triggering one of these alerts. To do this, open Find My on your iPhone, tap ‘Items,’ then choose the AirTag you want to adjust settings for. Scroll down, choose ‘Notify When Left Behind,’ and enable the feature. Look down to ‘Notify me, except at:’ and remove any automatically added locations or add new ones by hitting ‘New Location.’

Benefits: Whitelisting locations helps you avoid unnecessary notifications, making it easier to stay organized and focused on what matters.

4. Use a Hack to Make AirTags Easier to Open

When your AirTags’ batteries are low (or, let’s face it, dead), you can replace them yourself—assuming you bought the proper batteries. However, they’re not the easiest to open up. To make it easier, take a small amount of tape on the back, then use that as a grip to help with the twist. You can also use rubber thimbles, like the kind you use to count money, to achieve the same effect.

Benefits: Using this hack makes it easier to open your AirTags, reducing the risk of damaging them and making it simpler to replace their batteries.

5. Share AirTags with Airlines to Find Lost Luggage

AirTags are great for luggage: you can pop one in your bag and track it down if it goes missing or gets left behind. That includes if your airline loses your bag. Not only can you show them the Find My app on your iPhone, but you can share your AirTag with your airline directly, so they can help pinpoint its location.

Benefits: Sharing AirTags with airlines helps you locate your lost luggage more efficiently, reducing the stress and hassle of dealing with missing items.

6. Share Your AirTag with Others to Keep Tabs on Important Items

In a similar vein, you can share your AirTag with a contact. That way, not only can they keep tabs on the AirTag’s location, they won’t receive tracking notifications for the item. To share an AirTag, open it in your Find My app, then under ‘Share AirTag,’ choose ‘Add Person.’ Tap ‘Continue,’ then choose a contact or contacts to share your AirTag with.

Benefits: Sharing AirTags with others helps you keep tabs on important items, making it easier to stay organized and focused on what matters.

7. Use an AirTag as an NFC Tag

Your AirTag isn’t just a tracker; it’s also an NFC tag. This technology is what makes tap-to-pay work: you wave your iPhone over the tag, which triggers some pre-planned action. In this case, you can set up your AirTag to run any automation you want in Apple Shortcuts. For example, you can use it to remind yourself to take your medication.

Benefits: Using an AirTag as an NFC tag provides a convenient way to automate tasks and reminders, making it easier to stay organized and focused on what matters.

8. Tap Your iPhone Against an AirTag to Find Its Owner’s Info

As it happens, your AirTag has a default NFC function as-is: to pull up the contact info for an owner’s AirTag after it goes missing. To set this up, open the AirTag in your Find My app, then under ‘Lost Mode,’ choose ‘Show Contact Info.’ Tap ‘Continue,’ then follow the on-screen prompts.

Benefits: Using this feature helps you locate the owner of a lost AirTag, making it easier to return it to its rightful owner.

9. Perform a Factory Reset if Your AirTag is Acting Up

If your AirTag isn’t working properly, but its battery still has plenty of juice left in it, you can try a factory reset to get things working again. This will reset the AirTag to its original settings, which means it will unpair with your Apple Account.

Benefits: Performing a factory reset helps you troubleshoot and resolve issues with your AirTag, making it easier to get back to using it as intended.

10. Use Your AirTag to Automate Tasks with Apple Shortcuts

Your AirTag can be used to automate tasks and reminders using Apple Shortcuts. For example, you can use it to remind yourself to take your medication or to send you notifications when you leave your house without your keys.

Benefits: Using Apple Shortcuts with your AirTag provides a convenient way to automate tasks and reminders, making it easier to stay organized and focused on what matters.