How to Use Apple AirTags For Tracking Luggage When Traveling

With growing concerns over lost luggage and delays at airports, we decided it was time to try Apple AirTags as a luggage locator or tracking device on our trips.

In this Apple AirTag review for travel, we go over our personal experience with Apple AirTag luggage tracking on various flights. We also share important things to know about AirTags when traveling, how to set them up in an app to track luggage, and other handy ways to use the devices.

The promise: Using an Apple AirTag, you’ll never lose track of your luggage again. 

The test: We’ll put two Apple AirTags in each of our checked-in luggage and track them as we travel from Oregon —> Montreal, Canada —> Frankfurt, Germany (connection) —> Florence, Italy. 

Final result: UPDATE: Test, review, and final thoughts about using AirTags from our trip: Montreal, Canada —> Frankfurt, Germany (connection) —> Florence, Italy. Click to read about these flights and if our bags made it.

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Updated: April 2024. Originally published: August 2022.

They Lost Our Luggage How Many Times?

There’s nothing like starting an international trip only to find that your luggage has gone missing. 

There have been a couple times where our luggage has been lost in transit and not returned to us for more than a week.

Not only were we without clothing, shoes, toiletries, and other essentials for our trip, we soon found out that some items are surprisingly difficult to replace. Like decent running shoes in Italy.

Each day we contacted the airlines. We couldn’t get a straight answer of where our bags were or when we would be getting them back.

We then had to work with the airlines and our credit card company to figure out how to get reimbursed for items we needed to purchase, which resulted in even more phone calls and paperwork. And because we were on the move, trying to coordinate where and when to deliver our bags was also challenging.

It’s not the way you want to start a trip.

For some travelers, the experience of lost or delayed baggage causes them to abandon checking in luggage all together and join Team Carry On.

For Michelle and I, Team Carry On is not usually an option.

Benefits of Checked Luggage

We tend to stay in one place for a while. Checking in a bag allows us to bring items that will make our longer stay more enjoyable.

• This can include extra clothing for varying weather or different activities. Also, Jedd likes to bring his own kitchen knives for cooking, which cannot go through TSA.
• Checked luggage also affords you some space for souvenirs to bring back.
• Plus, it’s less burdensome not carrying everything with you as you transit through the airport and make flight connections.

Benefits of Carrying On Luggage

I understand the appeal of only using carry ons when traveling. As long as you have your boarding pass, you can avoid a couple of pain points waiting for your luggage.

• You don’t have to drop off suitcases with a gate agent before flying.
• You don’t need to wait for luggage to arrive afterward at baggage claim.
• You know exactly where your carry ons are because they are always with you. 
• You can save money if there’s a checked bag fee.

Check out our travel bag recommendations here >

The Checked Luggage Problem and Possible Solution

In a perfect world, airlines would not lose baggage, period. Since this cannot be guaranteed, the next best thing is to mitigate this potentially annoying issue with better planning.

Expect that your checked bag may not arrive with you and plan from there. 

Here’s our personal solution:

• We’ll each carry on our laptop backpacks.
• Additionally, we’ll carry on a duffel bag with essential, hard-to-replace items. 
• We’ll each have one check-in bag with an Apple AirTag inside.

We recognize that having an AirTag doesn’t prevent our bags from getting lost, but at least we’ll know where our checked luggage is.

Once we arrive to our destination, we can know immediately if our bags didn’t arrive. Then we can head straight to a baggage agent and get the lost luggage reporting process started right away. This means less waiting in line if others on our flight have the same issue.

We can communicate our bag’s location to the airlines, which can potentially speed up the process of getting our luggage back. Check out a story of this exact scenario.

Finally, rather than waiting in limbo and calling the airline for an ETA each day, we can also use Air Tags as a personal tracker for luggage while being returned to us.

We’ll see when it finally arrives to the airport, when it goes out for delivery, and how far away the delivery driver is from where we’re staying. Previously, we could only guess when we’d have our clothing back, which makes it difficult to know how much to shop for in the meantime.

What are Apple AirTags used for?

In April 2021, Apple introduced a new product called AirTags. The premise was simple: use this device as a tool to geo-locate anything you want.*

The main user stories Apple advertised were items that often get lost like keys, bags, and other valuable items.

You simply pair an AirTag to your Apple ID and personal phone (or other device). Then attach that Air Tag with the item you want to track. 

For example, you can put the AirTag in a specially designed holder and attach it to a key chain. If you get separated from your keys, you open up an app on your phone that helps you locate the Air Tag.

*It should be noted that, like all technology, terrible people have used this technology for malicious purposes and unintended uses (like tracking people, cars, etc…). While the risk of someone using an AirTag against you is rare, it’s important to to be aware of. Thankfully Apple has built in some safe guards and notifications.

Learn more here about what to do if you get an unwanted AirTag tracking alert.

The Apple AirTag Device

Each Apple AirTag is small, about the size of a Canadian 2 dollar (we’re heading to Canada soon) and weighs about 13 grams.

Thankfully, it has a built in GPS tracker because the AirTag is small enough that it could easily get lost itself. As with most Apple products, to be useful, you probably need some sort of accessory.

An AirTag holder will allow you to attach the AirTag to the item you want to track. We picked up this 4 pack of AirTag cases for less than $20 and they seem to work fine.

The AirTag is powered by a CR2032 battery that is replaceable. When your AirTag battery is running low, the iOS device paired with your AirTag will receive a notification.

What is the AirTag battery life? Depending on your usage, the battery should last up to a year.

Here’s Apple’s step-by-step instructions on how to replace your AirTag battery.

How do Apple AirTags work?

With almost 2 billion Apple devices around the world, the AirTag is constantly pinging off of all these devices. This gives Apple an almost-precise sense of where AirTags are located.

It’s similar to how the GPS location of your smartphone works. When location services are on, your smartphone constantly pings other devices around it. That information is the used by apps like Google Maps to show you your location.

Do AirTags work internationally? Yes. Depending on how many Apple devices are nearby, the location precision can vary. They will be less effective in remote areas, regardless of the country, and more accurate in cities where there are more Apple devices nearby.

Apple sends the GPS information about your paired AirTag to your own iOS device (iPhone or iPad) using the “Find My” app.

All you need to do is set up the “Find My” app on your phone and physically attach the AirTag to the item you want to track. To use “Find My” as a luggage tracker app, we’ll be hiding our AirTags inside our check in luggage.

Do Apple AirTags work with Android?

Simply: no. Don’t let other sites confuse you.

There is an Apple based app in the Google Play Store called Tracker Detect. Android users can use this app to detect nearby AirTags around them. This is meant to be a security tool.

You cannot pair an Apple AirTag to your Android device, whether as a tracker for luggage or any other purpose.

Apple AirTags work best with Apple iOS devices. If you don’t own an iPhone and are looking for luggage tracking devices, we suggest you look into Tile Trackers or the Samsung Smart Tags.

What Tech You Need to Use Apple Air Tags for Travel

Apple AirTags are sold individually or in a 4-pack. Once you’ve purchased an AirTag, Apple suggests that you upgrade to the latest version of iOS for your AirTags to work properly. 

Shop for Apple AirTags and accessories at Staples >

AirTags only work with newer phone models, iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus or newer, and must be running at least iOS 14.5.

If you’re not sure what iPhone you have or iOS version you are running, go to Settings —>  General —> About. There you’ll be able to see your iPhone Model and current Software Version. 

If you have a newer iPhone, you get an extra feature called “Precision Finding” which will locate and give you directions to your AirTag. To access this feature you’ll need a:

• iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, or iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, or iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 14, iPhone 14 plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max

How To Set Up Apple AirTags With Your iOS Device

Once you’ve confirmed you have a compatible iPhone, running the latest iOS, and have an AirTag to pair, you’re ready to begin.

STEP 1: Pair Your AirTag to Your iPhone/iPad

Your AirTag will come nicely wrapped. We suggest not unwrapping until you’re ready to pair with a compatible iOS device.

When you’re ready, unwrap and notice you’ll be pulling out a last plastic part. Removing this plastic tab will activate your new AirTag and trigger it to connect with a nearby device.

Make sure the phone or device you’re pairing the AirTag with is not in “Airplane Mode” and has bluetooth turned on.

If you’re planning on pairing multiple AirTags to your device, we suggest going through this process multiple times and not all at once.

Bring the AirTag you want to pair close to the top of your phone/tablet and it should show up on your device’s screen.

Click connect. You’ll be prompted to choose a name for your AirTag.

You can tell that Apple wants you to use one of their suggestions for the name because if you want to create your own name, you’ll have to scroll to the bottom and choose “Custom Name”. For those of you who like to be in control or have a non-listed item, this is for you.

You’ll then be asked to pick an Emoji symbol to represent your AirTag. This will be the icon shown on the map when you use the “Find My” app to track the AirTag.

Once you’ve settled on a name, chose an emoji and hit “continue” a couple of times, you’ll arrive at the final step — Apple’s final notice. This final screen shows you that your AirTag is tied to your Apple ID and warns you about malicious use.

Once you’ve agreed that you’ve read everything, you’ll have officially completed the process. You will start to see your AirTag in the “Find My” app that automatically gets opened for you.

Find My App Luggage GPS Tracker

Note the menu options in the “Find My App”. You can see your custom named AirTag and where it’s currently located on the map. (It’s using Apple’s map, in case you were wondering why it doesn’t look like Google Maps).

You could select “Play Sound” in which your AirTag will start chirping. This is a helpful feature if you have your AirTag connected to keys or something like that. Probably not so helpful if it’s buried, hidden in a bag.

For newer iPhones, you can use the “Find” feature and if the stars align and everything connects properly, it will actually give you more detailed directions on how to find your AirTag. This will include how far you are away from it, etc…

To add additional AirTags to your Apple ID and iOS device, just repeat the steps above. As you see in the picture below, I now have 2 AirTags set up in my phone.

Swiping your finger up on the menu section, you’ll reveal more menu items such as “Notifications”, Lost Mode, and Rename/Remove:

• Remove AirTag: If you want to disassociate the AirTag to your Apple ID and device, tap this option. You can then pair the AirTag to another device or account. This is what you would do if you were giving or selling the AirTag to someone else.
• Lost Mode: If for some reason you can’t locate or connect to your Air Tag, use this mode. It will prevent anyone from claiming your AirTag as their own and will notify you if found.

What happens if you remove an AirTag using the app, but you had bluetooth off so that it wasn’t communicated to the AirTag? You can do a hard reset to make it like new again.

The hard reset ONLY works if the AirTag was removed from an Apple ID account using the “Find My” app. You’ll open the AirTag, remove it’s battery, and then put everything back together. The AirTag will act as if it’s new and ready to pair with a new device.

See Apple’s article for details on how to reset AirTags.

Our Test: Apple AirTag Luggage Tracking Review

To see if this actually works, we’ll put Apple AirTags in each of our checked luggage and track them as we travel.

• Oregon —> Montreal, Canada
• Montreal, Canada—> Frankfurt, Germany (connection) —> Florence, Italy
• Rome, Italy —> Istanbul, Turkey (connection) —> San Francisco, California
• Santa Ana/Orange, California —> Portland, Oregon (final destination)

As you can see, we have several connections on this itinerary so we’ll be tracking our bags as they change airlines and cross multiple borders.

Remember, we have no control whether or not our luggage will arrive where and when we want it. What we’re testing is if we can accurately track where our bags are at all times and if this helps with recovering them (if needed).

In the past, it was so stressful to check in with the airlines and have them tell us they had no idea where the bags where and when we would get them. We’re hoping that having more information will help alleviate some of the travel headaches we’ve dealt with before.

Real Life Test: Apple AirTag Luggage Tracking 

So far, so good. We’re currently in Italy and I can say that the Air Tags not only work, but it truly gave us some peace of mind to know that our bags where with us.

Was it a perfect, stress-free experience? No. But they delivered on what they said they would and I have a feeling the experience will get better with future updates and technological advances.

Here’s what happened on one of our legs from Montreal –> Frankfurt –> Florence.

Find a spot to put your AirTags

We placed our AirTags in non-obvious places. For Michelle’s bag, we placed the tag in her toiletry bag. For Jedd’s bag, we connected it to our Osprey day pack.

So each tag was in a bag, within our luggage. This didn’t seem to affect it’s connectivity.

Pro Tip: You can and should rename your AirTags each time you move them to a new bag or location. This will help with your tracking.

Dropping off your bags and the AirTag tracking begins

At the Air Canada check-in (left pic) you can see Apple knows our bags are with us using the “Find My” app and selecting “items” (where the AirTags are paired and information is stored).

The picture on the right showed us the location of our bags after we went through security. This seems typical as baggage goes to a holding area until it’s ready to be loaded onto a plane.

Since we were 4 hours early for our flight, this information didn’t change for awhile.

IMPORTANT NOTE #1: You must have WIFI or cellular connection and your AirTags must be near other Apple devices that are connected to WIFI or cellular for this to work well.

AirTags are not constantly connected via WIFI or cellular on their own so the accuracy and the immediacy of their location is limited.

This can easily cause some anxiety as you may want to immediately know where your AirTags/bags are. But if you know this information ahead of time, you can expect that you’ll get some kind of information of it’s location and to be honest, that’s WAY better than no information.

Since I knew we weren’t on a connecting flight and our plane was already in Canada, ready to take us to Frankfurt, I didn’t worry if my bags were with me or not. At least for this part.