Have you ever worried about your car being stolen or wished you could easily locate it in a crowded parking lot? Apple’s AirTags can help.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about using AirTags to track a car and protect it from theft in 2024.
Why Use An AirTag to Track Your Car?
Car theft is a huge problem, with over 800,000 vehicles stolen per year in the U.S. An AirTag represents an affordable, convenient way for Apple users to safeguard their cars.
AirTags utilize Apple’s Find My network, GPS, and ultra-wideband technology to track the precise location of devices. With an AirTag secretly attached to your car, you can track your vehicle’s location and movements in real-time using Apple’s Find My app.
If your car is ever stolen, AirTags make it far easier to recover it. The Find My network will continue updating an AirTag’s location even if it’s far away, enabling you to track a stolen car and share its whereabouts with police.
Beyond theft recovery, AirTags offer peace of mind by letting you easily locate a parked car in crowded lots, like after a concert or sporting event. No more wandering aimlessly searching rows upon rows of vehicles!
Key benefits of using an AirTag to track a car include:
- Real-time location tracking via Apple’s Find My network
- Extended tracking range with ultra-wideband and Bluetooth technology
- Small, inconspicuous size easily hides in cars
- Affordable at just $29 per AirTag
- Utilizes Apple’s robust anti-stalking measures
- Helps quickly find parked vehicles
- Enables recovery of stolen cars
- Seamless integration with iPhone and Find My app
Now let’s dive into the specifics of using an AirTag to safeguard your car.
Where To Place the AirTag Tracker in Your Car
The key to effective AirTag tracking is hiding the small device discreetly in your car. You want it tucked away securely out of sight, but in a spot that will maintain a Bluetooth connection.
Some of the best places to hide an AirTag in your car include:
- Inside the glove compartment – This enclosed space masks the Bluetooth and GPS signals yet receives them reliably. Just put the AirTag in the back towards the window.
- Underneath car seats – Lift the corner of a removable seat bottom to slide the AirTag in underneath. It’ll be impossible to find.
- Behind the rear bumper – If you can remove part of the bumper, conceal the AirTag behind it using adhesive, tape or a magnetic case.
- Inside the trunk – Adhere the AirTag to an interior trunk panel, spare tire well, or back of fold-down rear seats if accessible.
- Behind dashboard trim – Open the dash slightly to place an AirTag behind it. The metal material may impact signal strength though.
- In the wheel well – Attach a magnetic case AirTag inside a front wheel well, up high. It’s discreet and protected.
Ideally, conceal multiple AirTags in different locations in the car. This provides redundancy in case one AirTag is discovered and disabled. Spreading them out also improves tracking accuracy.
Use strong adhesive, tape, Velcro, or a protective case to securely fasten the AirTags. You don’t want them shaking loose on the road.
Setting Up an Apple AirTag to Track a Car
Apple has made setting up an AirTag to track a car’s location simple. Just follow these steps:
- Ensure your iPhone is running iOS 14.5 or later. This enables precision tracking.
- Purchase at least one Apple AirTag and remove the plastic cover to activate it.
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone and select “Add New Item.”
- Tap “Set Up New AirTag” and bring the iPhone near the AirTag. It will connect via Bluetooth.
- Name your AirTag something like “creative airtag engraving” for reference.
- Slide the “Precision Finding” toggle to enable enhanced tracking abilities.
- Under location access, share the AirTag’s location with people you trust, like family.
- Follow the adhesive instructions to securely attach the now configured AirTag in your preferred hidden location in the car.
- Test the AirTag tracking by moving away from your car and locating it in the Find My app. The blue pulsing dot shows its location on a map.
- To track remotely, ensure your car’s AirTag detection and Bluetooth are enabled. Park as normal and find the car’s location via Find My.
With the AirTag discreetly installed and paired with your iPhone, you’re all set to track your car’s every movement and pinpoint its location instantly, from anywhere.
How AirTags Work for Tracking a Car
Now that you know how to set up an AirTag, let’s discuss how the technology enables continuous car tracking.
Apple AirTags utilize Bluetooth LE connections to Apple devices like iPhones and iPads. When your car and its concealed AirTag are within Bluetooth range of an Apple device, the AirTag updates its location information.
This allows the Find My network to maintain an accurate location log of where your car has been. If the car is stolen, you can review this location history to see where it traveled.
In addition to Bluetooth, AirTags have an embedded ultra-wideband chip for precision tracking. When you tap the Find Nearby icon in the Find My app, if your iPhone also contains ultra-wideband, you’ll get exact directional guidance that leads you right to the AirTagged item.
This ultra-wideband tracker helps you quickly locate a parked car in a crowded lot when walking around searching. The Find My app shows how far away you are from the AirTagged car.
If your car is beyond Bluetooth range, the AirTags use other iPhones running Find My as relay points to update their location. This extends the effective location tracking range far beyond Bluetooth’s capabilities.
So in summary, the key tracking technologies in Apple’s AirTags include:
- Bluetooth LE – For close-proximity location updates
- Ultra-wideband – Pinpoints precise direction and distance
- Find My network – Expands tracking via other Apple devices as relay points
- GPS – Provides location coordinates of tagged items
Combined, these yield a highly effective tracking and recovery system for stolen vehicles or lost keys.
Using AirTags to Recover a Stolen Car
If a thief ever succeeds in stealing your car despite the security precautions, AirTags can make recovery far more likely.
Here’s what to do if your vehicle goes missing and you believe it’s been stolen:
- Open the Find My app and select the AirTag you had installed in the car.
- Tap the location dot to see the latest update. This will show if the car is parked nearby or has been driven away.
- Tap Directions to get a map view of the car’s route if it’s on the move. Continually check for new location updates.
- Contact the police, provide the vehicle details, and inform them it is AirTagged. Share the current location.
- Maintain remote tracking via Find My. The car may stop and switch locations as the thieves unload it.
- When police can safely investigate based on the AirTag location, they can recover the stolen vehicle. Having exact coordinates makes this far easier than relying on eyewitness sightings.
- After recovering your car, remove and replace the AirTags in new locations in case the thieves found the old ones.
While an AirTag can’t prevent auto theft altogether, it makes tracking and recovering stolen vehicles much simpler. The extended Find My network tracking range improves the chances of cars being located even if rapidly driven out of the area.
Tips for Effective Car Tracking With AirTags
To get the most protection and peace of mind from using AirTags on your car, keep these usage tips in mind:
- Conceal multiple AirTags in hard-to-find locations for redundancy.
- Install AirTags securely with adhesive, tape or a protective case so they don’t shake loose.
- Place AirTags up high under seats or dashboards for best Bluetooth and GPS connections.
- Park your car periodically near other Apple devices to update the AirTags’ locations.
- Use a unique AirTag name and emoji icon to identify each one quickly in Find My.
- Share your car’s AirTag location access with family or friends you trust.
- Rotate AirTag batteries about once per year to maintain tracking reliability.
- Turn on Lost Mode for better tracking if your car is stolen before you notice.
- Monitor your car’s AirTag periodically in Find My even when not in use to check location updates.
- If the AirTag’s location is not updating, move it to re-establish a connection.
- If your AirTag starts randomly beeping, it likely means the battery is low.
- If selling your car, remember to remove any installed AirTags and disable.
Following these best practices helps you get the maximum tracking utility from Apple AirTags on your vehicle.
Answering Common Questions about AirTags for Cars
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about using AirTags to track and locate cars:
Can the police track a stolen car’s AirTag?
Yes, if you share the AirTag details and provide location access, the Find My network enables police to view live updates on a stolen vehicle’s location. This aids recovery.
Where can you buy AirTags to use for your car?
You can purchase Apple AirTags for $29 each from Apple.com, Apple Stores, Amazon, Best Buy and other major retailers that sell Apple accessories.
How long does the AirTag battery last?
The replaceable CR2032 battery in AirTags lasts for approximately one year before it needs to be swapped out. AirTags will alert you when their battery is low.
Can AirTags be hacked or disabled?
Apple has built robust security into AirTags with encrypted Bluetooth connections. While no tracking device is impossible to hack, Apple’s security makes it very challenging.
Can AirTags track cars without the Find My network?
AirTags rely on the Find My network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices to track far beyond Bluetooth range. Without this network relaying the signal, tracking range is limited.
Do AirTags work on Android phones?
No, AirTags currently only pair and sync location with Apple devices like iPhones, not Android phones. You must own an iPhone to monitor an AirTag’s location updates.
Is it legal to place an AirTag in someone else’s car without consent?
No. Attaching an AirTag to track another person’s car without their knowledge is illegal in most jurisdictions. Only use AirTags on cars you own or have explicit permission to track.
Do AirTags have GPS?
Yes, AirTags contain a GPS chip that provides the geographic coordinates of their location. This helps relay accurate positional information to the Find My network.
Are AirTags magnetic?
No, AirTags are not magnetic. But you can buy cases with built-in magnets to attach them to metal surfaces like cars.
Can AirTags hear you?
No, AirTags do not have microphones to hear conversations, sounds or background noise. They solely use wireless connections to relay location data.
Take Advantage of AirTags to Track Your Vehicle
As you can see, Apple’s affordable and easy-to-use AirTags offer a convenient way for iPhone users to monitor their car’s location.
Stolen vehicle recovery rates are significantly higher when tracking devices are installed. AirTags provide comprehensive tracking that extends far beyond your car’s parking spot.
Place one or more AirTags in clever hiding spots in your car, chain, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle. Use the power of Apple’s Find My network to follow your vehicle’s movements in real-time.
Knowing your car’s location provides peace of mind and makes parking spot retrieval easier. With effective concealment, the compact trackers also enable stolen vehicle recovery that otherwise may not be possible.
Give yourself the gift of enhanced vehicle security. Pick up some Apple AirTags and use this guide to start tracking and safeguarding your car today.
