How To

Here’s What to Do If You Find an AirTag

Apple has designed their new AirTag item trackers to allow users to track their possessions, including keys, wallets, purses, etc. But what if you find a lost item that’s being tracked by an AirTag? Here’s what to do.

From the Apple support website:

If you find an AirTag or a lost item with an AirTag attached

  1. Tap and hold the top of your iPhone or NFC-capable smartphone to the white side of the AirTag.
  2. Tap the notification that appears. This opens a website that provides information about the AirTag, including its serial number.
  3. If the owner marked it as lost, you might see a message with information about how to contact the owner.* You can contact the owner to let them know that you found their AirTag.

* You can view a Lost Mode message on any NFC-capable smartphone, such as an iPhone or Android phone. 

If you see an “AirTag Found Moving With You” message

If you see this message on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later, an AirTag that has been separated from the person who registered it is traveling with you, and the owner might be able to see its location. It’s possible that the AirTag might be attached to an item you’re borrowing. Follow these steps to turn off “AirTag Detected” notifications or disable the AirTag:

  1. Tap the message.
  2. Tap Continue. If you need help finding the AirTag, tap Play Sound.*
  3. If the AirTag is attached to an item you’re borrowing, you can tap Pause Safety Alerts to turn off “AirTag Detected” notifications for one day. If you’re borrowing an AirTag from a member of your Family Sharing group, you can turn off Safety Alerts for one day or indefinitely.
  4. You can tap Learn About This AirTag to see its serial number if the owner marked it as lost.
  5. To disable the AirTag and stop sharing your location, tap Instructions to Disable AirTag and follow the onscreen steps. If you feel your safety is at risk, contact your local law enforcement who can work with Apple. You might need to provide the AirTag or its serial number.

* If you can’t play a sound, the AirTag might not be with you anymore. If it was with you overnight, its identifier might have changed. Find My uses the identifier to determine that it’s the same AirTag moving with you. If you believe the AirTag is still with you, look through your belongings to try to find it, or wait to see if another alert appears as you move from location to location during the day. If the AirTag is within range of the person who registered it, you also won’t be able to play a sound. 

If you hear an AirTag making a sound

When moved, any AirTag separated for a period of time from the person who registered it will make a sound to alert those nearby. If you find an AirTag after hearing it make a sound, you can use any device that has NFC, such as an iPhone or Android phone, to see if its owner marked it as lost and help return it.

Apple sells a single ‌AirTag for $29 or a pack of four for $99. all purchases include personalized engraving.
Chris Hauk

Chris is a Senior Editor at Mactrast. He lives somewhere in the deep Southern part of America, and yes, he has to pump in both sunshine and the Internet.

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4 years ago