r/AirTags • u/YeaRight228 • 2d ago

Backpack Tracking

I'm getting my soon to be teen an expensive backpack, that I want to put a tracker inside in case it gets lost. I don't want to deal with it beeping if it's not near its paired phone and I don't want to constantly get notifications if it's moving. If we forget it somewhere, I want to be able to locate it, if it gets lost in camp or school we want to be able to get it back.

(*it's a really expensive religious item in a backpack type case, getting a cheaper bag won't solve the problem)

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u/Sufficient_Rush1891 2d ago

Does he have an iPhone? If so simple solution is to share the AirTag with him and when he is travelling with backpack and phone it won’t beep.

It also won’t beep when it is in a locker for example and away from his phone.

The anti-stalking protecitons kick in when airtag is moving and away from owner/shared owner’s phone.

You as owner won’t het notifications that it is moving. You only get “leff behind” notifications if you set that up in your find my app. On his iphone it will be helpful to set that up so he doesn’t forget it.

If he doesn’t have an iPhone, then anti-stalking protections will activate when bag is not with you.

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u/YeaRight228 2d ago

He does not have any phone at all, it would be paired with my wifes iphone.

I don't need a GPS tracker, this is more of a 'lost luggage' situation; I just want to avoid the annoying alerts.
Most of my family has android, so an android based platform would be a good option; I just don't know what they are or how good they are.

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u/Sufficient_Rush1891 2d ago

Android trackers work the same way as airtags, but get android phones instead of iPhones to detect their Bluetooth signal and relay phone location to central server.

Avoiding annoying alerts is not possible. Anyone nearby the backpack when it is moving, drivers, teachers, other students etc. will get alerts at some point on their phone telling them an unknown tracker is moving with them. Google has followed Apple and also added these anti-stalking alerts on android phones, so not just iPhones that get these messages.

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u/YeaRight228 2d ago

I would put the name in the settings if I can, so if someone scans for it, it would say "John Smiths School Bag AirTag" or whatever. I'm mostly nervous about him forgetting it on the bus or trips

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u/Sufficient_Rush1891 2d ago

No, naming an AirTag is only for your own app. The AirTag has no capacity to save / no memory it could save to.

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u/Sufficient_Rush1891 2d ago

Putting in the bag an old Android phone or iPhone that has active eSIM / cell plan it may be best solution for you, but it will need to be recharged regularly. You could have a power banks that you swap in every few days to make it simple.

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u/FishrNC 2d ago

Cellphone based trackers won't do what you want, as they do not have GPS capability or data transmitters built-in. They count on low powered Bluetooth contact with a nearby cellphone to ask it to relay the position. No cell, no location.

Commercial trackers with their own GPS and data link are what you need. But they are expensive and require a paid subscription.

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u/DeepQuail9819 2d ago

Have you considered QR labels? We use AirTags and QR labels when we travel. When someone scans the QR code, they'll see my custom message and I'll get a notification on my phone.

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u/YeaRight228 2d ago

That's a great idea! I'll also put a sticker inside with his name in English and my phone number.

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u/YeaRight228 2d ago

How do you get the QR code to send you an alert?

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u/DeepQuail9819 2d ago

I use an app called Scan Note. I get notifications whenever someone scans and if they share location information, I can also get the location of the scan. Works well so far. https://scannote.app

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u/GuideCharacter2616 2d ago

You can take out the part that emits noise. I’ve done it with my 2 airtags.