# How, exactly, do Airtags work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2023, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317 "2023-12-29T15:48:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/61 "2024-01-02T05:22:34Z")
I bave seen more than one instance of people having an especially wide seperation between their wireless earbuds. > **[Internet Howling After Man Leaves Single AirPod 1,000 Miles Away: 'Tragic'](https://www.newsweek.com/internet-howling-man-leaves-single-airpod-spain-1720237)** > > "Looks like we could enjoy a nice stereo in Munich," joked one commenter, replying to the tweet. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/62 "2024-01-02T05:25:40Z")
Unfortunately, there’s a fundamental tension between anti-stalking measures vs. being useful for tracking stolen items. I did see this recent article: > **[This Clever New Idea Could Fix AirTag Stalking While Maximizing Privacy](https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/12/researchers-come-up-with-better-idea-to-prevent-airtag-stalking/)** > > Apple updated its location-tracking system in an attempt to cut down on AirTag abuse while still preserving privacy. Researchers think they’ve found a better balance. The short version is that the researchers suggest using a cryptographic scheme to split the AirTag identity information into parts which can only be collected over a period of time. With just a single sample, you can’t tell anything and the tag looks like any other random one. But if you collect enough pieces, you can tell that there is a persistent tag in the vicinity. They could divide it up to take, say, 24 hours to collect enough pieces. That might be enough for a stolen item to be tracked (without the thieves catching on) while being short enough to not be as useful for stalking. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/63 "2024-01-02T12:35:33Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Next you’ll be telling me that someone other than the TSA has access to the top secret keys that allow the TSA to open combination locks on luggage. They do (or was that sarcasm?): > **[This Is Why Your TSA-Approved Luggage Locks Are Useless](https://lock-picking.wonderhowto.com/how-to/is-why-your-tsa-approved-luggage-locks-are-useless-0164446/)** > > Last year, the Washington Post's Ashley Halsey wrote an article on what really happens to your luggage at airports. In it, they unwittingly published a photo of the master keys the TSA uses for TSA-approved baggage locks. Now, thanks to that picture... ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/64 "2024-01-02T20:17:58Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > They do (or was that sarcasm?): It was sarcasm, you can buy them on Amazon for a few bucks. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2024, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/65 "2024-01-13T01:27:18Z")
“Air Bags work by exploding a big bag and driving plastic fragments into your chest, killing you!” “Emily, it’s ‘Air Tags’, Air T - A - G - S. Not Air Bags.” “Ohhhh, Nevermind.” ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/66 "2024-01-31T19:32:04Z")
One reported Airtag issue is: after a certain amount of time (weeks?) out of proximity to the owner’s device, the tag will stop pinging and updating its position through the network and need to be reset or re-paired. More detailed information should be available concerning specific firmware versions, which brings up another issue, that Apple utilises your devices to push firmware updates without notifying you or asking your permission. Downgrading or installing custom firmware is not for the casual user. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2024, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317/67 "2024-02-02T02:12:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The Airtag keeps ‘advertising’ as long as it’s ‘lost’, but it doesn’t do any good unless someone, somewhere, has a Bluetooth-connected device somewhere nearby. unless somewhere, somewhere, has an **Apple** Bluetooth connected device somewhere nearby. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-exactly-do-airtags-work/995317.md?page=3)