The Apple AirTag has emerged as a popular device for tracking belongings, from keys to luggage. With their ease of use and integration into the Apple ecosystem, it’s natural to consider using AirTags for more valuable assets like cars and trucks. However, a look at user experiences reveals a gap between the promise of AirTag tracking and its real-world performance for vehicles, particularly concerning location update reliability. Many users are voicing concerns about the effectiveness of AirTags for keeping tabs on their cars, highlighting issues with delayed or inaccurate location updates, especially when the vehicle is not in close proximity to the owner. This article delves into these concerns, analyzing why AirTags might fall short as a robust tracking solution for cars and trucks, and what factors contribute to these reported location update problems.
Users across online forums are reporting similar frustrations: AirTags attached to their vehicles often fail to provide timely location updates. One user, manri-p23, succinctly questions the core functionality: “what’s the point of the airtag if i have to be close to it to know it’s location? i bought the **** thing to know where things are when i’m NOT right next to them.” This sentiment captures the central issue – the expectation of remote tracking versus the reality of proximity-based updates.
Gabysanchez15 shares a specific scenario highlighting update delays: “My sister… has my keys with an AirTag but the location doesn’t update. What’s happening?? It has more than 10 hours without updating.” This extended delay renders the AirTag almost useless for immediate tracking needs, especially in situations like theft or unauthorized vehicle use.
The issue isn’t isolated incidents; multiple users echo these complaints. kmwIII points to a discrepancy between advertised functionality and actual performance: “Apple advertised the AirTag as a device that can update its location periodically thru other Apple devices nearby… yet it could take hours to update itself. That means if someone stole my wallet I would not be able to locate it in a reasonable time. If that’s not called false advertising I don’t know what to say to you.” The expectation of near real-time updates, especially in populated areas where numerous Apple devices should be present, is clearly not being consistently met.
JDM0 provides a real-world example in a crowded environment: “When I am walking in the night market where are about 200 people around and for sure there are people using iPhone… and the airtag is in the beg with her… At some point she walked far away from me, and I try to locate her with Airtag, and the airtag did not update location for about 30 min time.” Even in densely populated areas with a high probability of proximity to other iPhones, location updates can be significantly delayed, undermining the AirTag’s utility for timely tracking.
Echandler2015 expresses strong disappointment after using AirTags for car security: “I bought two. One for my husband car incase it’s stolen and one for my son when he’s at school… 14 days without the AirTag being updated. It does not show accurate locations or the AirTag ever moving. It’s a complete waste of money.” This user’s experience underscores the critical flaw: if location updates are infrequent and unreliable, the AirTag fails its intended purpose as a security or tracking device for vehicles.
StevenMPerry, experiencing issues with a shared AirTag, directly questions Apple: “My wife has a ‘car keys’ Airtag shared with me that I personally set up for her and tested… I can see her phone (her location at work) and the air tag is on her keys in her purse next to the iPhone 14+ with latest OS… Apple what is the problem? Are you listening? What is your resolution.” This highlights the user frustration and the call for Apple to address these widespread reporting issues with AirTag performance in practical scenarios like car and key tracking.
Markus_monty, a long-term AirTag user, noticed a decline in performance: “Since I want to say Nov/Dec 2023 the behaviour has changed. They are not updating location for days or more at a time… I can literally drop the kids off and the tags will notify left behind but still show as being at home. This should not be how they work and understand why people are questioning apple products.” This suggests a potential software or network-related issue that may have emerged, impacting the reliability of AirTag location updates more recently.
Mumdoingbest raises a crucial point about the AirTag’s dependence on nearby Apple devices: “Air tag only updates if I’m near by. When I give it to me daughter who does NOT have a phone yet – it does not update the location when going out. How do we fix this?” This clearly illustrates the limitation: AirTags rely on the Find My network, meaning they need to be within Bluetooth range of someone else’s active Apple device to update their location when the owner is not nearby. Without a dense network of Apple devices consistently detecting the AirTag, updates will be sporadic at best.
Allikten1 further elaborates on the inconsistency, even within the Apple ecosystem: “The AirTags no longer update for many even close to range of others with find my iPhone network… Example mine won’t update unless I’m close to it, I share the location of the AirTag with my wife, her AirTag location screen won’t update even though it’s updating on my screen.” This suggests potential bugs or inconsistencies within the Find My network itself, where updates are not reliably propagated across shared accounts or devices.
MircoP provides a technical breakdown of the expected AirTag process, highlighting where failures might occur: “It seems that the point 2. is working ONLY if there is close to the AirTag one of the devices of the SAME Apple ID, and so syncronized using the same iCloud ID.” While technically incorrect as AirTags are designed to leverage any nearby Apple device in the Find My network, this user’s perception reflects a potential issue – the perceived or actual reliance on a limited subset of devices for location updates, rather than the broad network advertised.
aintnoweeblewobble points out the intended use case versus the reality of car tracking: “Actually this is exactly what Apple says on their website… ‘When youʼve left something far behind… the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world — helps track down your AirTag.’… But it has proved to be utterly useless. If my wife walks or takes him somewhere, I can see her exact location but my dogs AirTag is maybe 20 miles away and not updating. Now let’s assume she took my car keys and not my dog it would be the same situation.” Even though AirTags are designed for lost items, the expectation for tracking a car (or car keys) is similar, but the reliability in practice seems to be significantly lower than anticipated.
TheFirstMrsFrollo’s experience directly relates to car tracking: “Same with mine I have one on my car in case it gets stolen and it only works when I’m maybe in the same parking lot or a mile or so away… My mum borrow my car and she went maybe 15 or 20 miles away and I cannot track it, it won’t update.” This is a critical failure point for using AirTags as a theft recovery tool for vehicles. If tracking is limited to very short ranges, it becomes ineffective when the car is moved further away.
StevenMPerry again, reporting on Apple’s apparent acknowledgment and subsequent removal of their post: “Apple just pulled my post from months ago – it stated this is a known issue and what resolution would they propose. So if this doesn’t tell you Apple is off their game, I don’t know what will.” This suggests Apple is aware of the AirTag location update issues, but the lack of a clear resolution or public communication further fuels user concerns.
CastkaMena points to potential broader implications: “iOS17.4 is still not working properly as Finder Device. This is a serious issue that has to be fixed ASAP. The Find My Network is slowly dying. All AirTags will become useless in a matter of a few more months.” This user expresses a serious concern that the underlying Find My network itself might be degrading in performance, potentially rendering AirTags less effective over time.
In conclusion, while Apple AirTags offer a convenient way to track items, user experiences reveal significant limitations when it comes to reliable car and truck tracking, especially concerning timely location updates. The reliance on proximity to other Apple devices, coupled with reported inconsistencies in update frequency and network performance, makes AirTags a less-than-ideal solution for vehicle security or real-time tracking needs. For robust vehicle tracking, especially for security and anti-theft purposes, dedicated GPS tracking systems or OBD-II vehicle trackers offered at stores like obdcarscantool.store may provide a more dependable and effective solution.
