Apple AirTag sent in the mail to test tracking — here’s what happened next

Apple AirTag sent in the post to examination tracking — here'south what happened next

(Image credit: Apple)

AirTags are designed to help yous track down your stuff, but just how good is the tracking if y'all lose something outside of your own abode?

Dutch YouTuber AirTagAlex decided to put Apple's tracker to the test. He send himself an AirTag in the postal service to see but how expert AirTags' location tracking really is.

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AirTagAlex set upwards a script that would ping the location of the AirTag every two minutes, and then take a timestamped screenshot to verify its location. Then it was put into a regular Dutch mailbox, just a few hundred feet from his house, and left to do its affair.

It turns out AirTag tracking does actually work, though it's not without a few snags. AirTagAlex was able to spotter the progress of his tracker. He could see roughly when information technology was picked up from the mailbox, and see information technology wind up 120km away earlier heading back to his house.

The snags are that the location tracking doesn't seem to exist up totally up to date all the time. AirTagAlex noted that shortly later the tracker offset started moving, information technology was clocked in at one intersection before all of a sudden being pinged at a mail sorting office 12 minutes abroad.

Obviously it'due south worth bearing in mind that AirTags are not GPS trackers. So it's not constantly pinging away at a satellite to requite you a precise location. Instead AirTags utilize iPhones running iOS fourteen.five, with the devices pinging an AirTag if whenever it'due south in range.

Given the number of people who own iPhones, and Apple's dedication to offer updates to a wide range of its devices, that means the AirTags accept the capacity to exist a lot more than accurate than the all-time key finders from competitors. As nice equally Tiles might exist, they do notwithstanding rely on people having the app installed. If nobody does, your trackers might also be completely useless.

In whatsoever example, minus a couple of hiccups, AirTagAlex'south little experiment shows that AirTag tracking is quite useful. And stuff you put in the mail can continue quite a long journey, even if the matter yous're sending isn't supposed to go that far.

It'll be interesting to run across how it works on an international trip, though. And we wait forward to seeing how AirTagAlex's tracker fairs on its trip to Norway, which will be the YouTuber'south next tracking test.

More than: Apple AirTags' anti-stalking features come up with a dangerous loophole

Tom is the Tom's Guide's Automotive Editor, which means he can normally be found knee deep in stats the latest and all-time electrical cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It'southward long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He's usually establish trying to squeeze another giant Lego prepare onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won't let him buy the stuff he actually needs online.