←back to thread

A 10-Year Battery for AirTag

(www.elevationlab.com)
673 points dmd | 4 comments | 18 Dec 24 18:17 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
Show context
drdaeman ◴[19 Dec 24 19:14 UTC] No.42464753[source]▶
Are AirTags actually useful for anti-theft purposes?

I threw one in the trunk of my car (just in case - I ordered a 4-pack and I had a spare one), and every single time I drive somewhere it chirps loudly when I'm exiting my driveway, making its presence immediately obvious without any delays, and despite my phone being with me in the car.

replies(8): >>42464807 #>>42464809 #>>42464811 #>>42465014 #>>42465690 #>>42467296 #>>42473579 #>>42476683 #
UniverseHacker ◴[19 Dec 24 19:42 UTC] No.42465014[source]▶
There is something wrong with your configuration/setup, it is not supposed to start chirping unless it is out of range of your phone for at least 8 days, and not in one of the predefined geofence regions you can setup where it won't chirp.

I have them on tons of my devices, including my kids personal items that go to school, etc. and they never chirp, and I can and have found items that were misplaced in public locations (but not actually stolen).

replies(3): >>42465399 #>>42465401 #>>42480682 #
1. pinkmuffinere ◴[19 Dec 24 20:29 UTC] No.42465401[source]▶
>it is not supposed to start chirping unless it is out of range of your phone for at least 8 days, and not in one of the predefined geofence regions you can setup where it won't chirp.

Does it even chirp then? This is news to me, I have an airtag in my car and have certainly left it for 2 weeks during vacations. I've never heard the airtag chirp unless I make it play a sound through "Find My"

replies(1): >>42466042 #
2. UniverseHacker ◴[19 Dec 24 21:48 UTC] No.42466042[source]▶
Your home is usually automatically geofenced, so if you left it there it shouldn't chirp. If you parked your car elsewhere, e.g. an airport lot it was probably chirping while you were gone, but you wouldn't hear it because you weren't there.
replies(2): >>42467611 #>>42468387 #
3. pinkmuffinere ◴[20 Dec 24 02:06 UTC] No.42467611[source]▶
oh lol interesting. I wonder how many people I have been annoying with the constant sound. This seemed like a perfect setup, but apparently not.
4. lelandbatey ◴[20 Dec 24 04:54 UTC] No.42468387[source]▶
They only chirp when disturbed (when separated from their paired device). I've got an iPad paired to a set on my keys, no iPhone. If I let the iPad die, eventually the airtag will start chirping when I pick up my keys, but when I'm not touching them they don't chirp.