You Might Want to Stash an AirTag in One of These Spots

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After a long plane ride, you probably just want to stretch your legs, grab your bags and get out of the airport ASAP. Unfortunately, if you have any checked bags, you'll have to go to baggage claim and wait for the endless conveyer belt of identical black suitcases. That's where an Apple AirTag can really come in handy.

You probably know how useful AirTag trackers are for finding a lost wallet or keychain. But have you ever considered dropping one in your luggage before heading to the airport? How about tossing one in your laptop bag?

Generally, you need to be within Bluetooth range to find your AirTag, but you can use Apple's Find My service to locate it if it's farther away, as long as it's still in range of another Apple device. (Here's how the Find My network works.) To do so, just put your AirTag into Lost Mode and you'll get a notification once it's within range of the Find My network. 

We've created a list of some unexpected places to put an AirTag to help prevent you from constantly retracing your steps. For more details, here's how to tell if an AirTag is tracking your location on Android.

In your tent when you go hiking

If you're setting up camp in a location you've never visited, it could be useful to place an AirTag inside your tent so you can easily find your campsite. For instance, if you decide to hike several miles one day, you can use Find My to look up the AirTag's last location (your tent) and get directions back to the campsite. Remember, it'll need to be within range of someone else's device, so don't rely on this out in the wilderness. (This is also why Apple advises you not to use AirTags on pets.)

In your jacket pocket

How often have you left your coat behind in a restaurant, bar or friend's house? Forgetting to grab your jacket when you head out is easy to do, especially if the weather is warmer than you expected or your hands are full of leftovers and to-go cups.

If you know you'll be hanging your jacket on a coat rack -- or the back of a chair -- when you arrive, place an AirTag inside the pocket so you know where you left it. This can help prevent yet another favorite jacket from getting lost, and less money out of your wallet to replace it.

Inside your luggage

Airports can be tricky to navigate, and can become especially difficult when you're trying to find the correct luggage pickup. Sometimes you wait 30 minutes until your bags finally roll out on the conveyor belt -- and sometimes they get lost. To relieve the stress of trying to locate your suitcase, you can put an AirTag tracker inside so you can track its whereabouts. 

This can help you find out if your bags were left on the airplane, if they're on the conveyor belt but you haven't spotted them yet or if someone mistakenly grabbed your luggage. Once you find out where your bags are, you can remedy the situation and continue on to where you're going.

Inside your laptop bag

Laptop bags can be easily left behind at a cafe when you're picking up coffee for everyone at the office. When your hands are full and you're distracted wondering how you're going to open your car door, it's hard to remember to grab your bag from the booth you were sitting in. 

That's why it's a good idea to place an AirTag inside one of the pockets. You will be able to not only locate your expensive laptop but also save any confidential company or personal information you had in your bag.

In a hidden place on your bicycle

If it hasn't happened to you, you probably know someone who has had this experience. You get home from a bike ride, go inside to grab water and something to eat and completely forget about the bike you left outside. Or maybe you went to the store, didn't lock your bike up and when you came back it was gone. 

If you place an AirTag in a hidden place on the bike, you can easily locate it. We don't recommend tracking the bicycle down on your own though. It's best to notify the police and let them retrieve your bike for you to avoid any dangerous situations.

This method also works on your car if it's been stolen or towed away -- or if you can't remember where you parked it. Although if you have an iPhone and it's connected to your car via Bluetooth, your phone can locate where you last left it.

More common areas to put your AirTag

AirTag is commonly used to locate these items.

• Your purse or wallet.
• Your keychain.
• Your phone or tablet.
• The remote to your TV.
• Anything valuable that you leave outside your home.

For more Apple information, here's how to send secret messages on your iPhone. Also, this upcoming iOS 18 feature can save you from cringeworthy iPhone texts.