Have an extra AirTag? Leave it in your luggage or at one of these locations

When you’ve just stepped off the plane after a long flight, the last thing you want to do is wait for your checked baggage. You might have a hard time spotting your bag in the endless carousel of identical black suitcases, even before you factor in jet lag. Luckily, an Apple AirTag can make your life a little easier.

You probably know how handy AirTag trackers are for finding a lost wallet or keychain. But have you ever thought about throwing one in your luggage before heading to the airport? How about throwing one in your laptop bag?

Normally, you’ll need to be within Bluetooth range to find your AirTag, but you can use Apple’s Find My service to locate your AirTag if it’s further away, as long as it’s still within range of another Apple device. (Here’s how how the Find My network works.) To do this, put your AirTag in Lost Mode. You will then receive a notification as soon as it is within range of the Find My network.

We’ve put together a list of some unexpected places you can put an AirTag to avoid having to retrace your steps. For more details, here’s how to tell if an AirTag is tracking your location on Android.

In your tent when you go hiking

If you’re setting up camp in a location you’ve never been to before, it can be helpful to place an AirTag in your tent so you can easily find your campsite. For example, if you decide to hike several miles in one day, you can use Find My to look up the last location of the AirTag (your tent) and get directions back to your campsite. Just remember that it needs to be within range of someone else’s device, so don’t rely on this in the wilderness. (This is also why Apple advises against using AirTags on pets.)

In your jacket pocket

How many times have you left your jacket at a restaurant, bar or at a friend’s house? It’s easy to forget to take your jacket with you when you’re out and about, especially when the weather is warmer than you expected or when your hands are full of leftovers and to-go cups.

If you know you’ll be hanging your coat on a coat rack — or on the back of a chair — when you get there, put an AirTag in the pocket so you know where you left it. This can help prevent another favorite coat from going missing, and less money from your wallet to replace it.

In your luggage

Airports can be tricky to navigate, and they can be especially tricky when you’re trying to find the right baggage claim location. Sometimes you have to wait 30 minutes for your bags to finally roll onto the conveyor belt — and sometimes they get lost. To take the stress out of trying to find your bag, you can put an AirTag tracker inside your bag so you can track its location.

This can help you figure out if your luggage was left on the plane, if it was on the conveyor belt but you didn’t see it, or if someone accidentally took your luggage. Once you know where your luggage is, you can remedy the situation and continue on to where you want to go.

In your laptop bag

Laptop bags can easily be left behind at a coffee shop when you’re getting coffee for everyone in the office. When your hands are full and you’re distracted by the question of how to open your car door, it’s hard to remember to grab your bag from the cab you were in.

That’s why it’s a good idea to put an AirTag in one of your pockets. Not only will you be able to find your expensive laptop, but you’ll also be able to keep track of any confidential business or personal information you had in your bag.

In a hidden place on your bike

If it hasn’t happened to you, you probably know someone who has. You come home from a bike ride, go inside to get water and something to eat, and forget about the bike you left outside. Or maybe you went to the store, left your bike unlocked, and when you came back it was gone.

If you place an AirTag in a hidden place on the bike, you can easily find it. However, we do not recommend that you try to find the bike yourself. It is best to alert the police and let them pick up your bike to avoid dangerous situations.

This method also works on your car if it’s been stolen or towed — or if you can’t remember where you parked it. However, if you have an iPhone and it’s connected to your car via Bluetooth, your phone can locate where you last left it.

Most common places to place your AirTag

AirTag is often used to locate these types of items.

• Your bag or wallet.
• Your keychain.
• Your phone or tablet.
• The remote control for your TV.
• Anything of value that you leave outside your home.

For more information about Apple, here is how to send secret messages on your iphone. This upcoming iOS 18 feature could also saving you from embarrassing iPhone text messages.