I take my dog to the dog park almost every week. And when I’m there, I see a lot of dogs with AirTags. And it makes sense. Small trackers are affordable, easy to attach to a dog’s collar, and work well with the iPhone (which most people have).
But Apple does no AirTags are recommended for tracking your pets — or any living creature (especially humans) for that matter. Instead, it insists that AirTags are only meant to track your belongings like your bag, bike, wallet or keys.
Of course, you can still use AirTag to track your pet, and Apple recently launched a feature, AirTag sharing, that makes AirTags even better for pet tracking. Here’s what you need to know.
Why AirTags is good pet tracker
1. Finally, you can share your pet’s location with family and friends
For years, you can’t share an AirTag’s location with anyone else. So if you have a family dog, only one person in the family can track it on their Find My app, which is frustrating. Fortunately, this has changed.
In iOS 17, Apple finally rolled out the ability to share an AirTag with anyone — whether they’re part of your family or not. So if your dog goes missing, anyone you’ve shared your AirTag with can help find it.
You can share your AirTag location with up to six people. Like this:
- Open the Find My app.
- Select the Items tab.
- Select the AirTag you want to share.
- Under the “Share this AirTag” option, select Add Person.
Once selected, these people will be notified that an AirTag has been shared with them. They will be able to find the shared AirTag through the Find My app on their iPhone.
If you want to stop sharing your pet’s location, you can follow the steps above, select the person’s name and then select “Stop Sharing.”
2. You probably live around other people with iPhones
AirTags need to be around iPhones (and other Apple devices) to work. Whenever an AirTag gets within Bluetooth range of another Apple device that supports Find My — iPhones, Apple Watches, all AirPods and Macs — the two passively communicate via secure Bluetooth. signal. The AirTag location will then be updated.
This means that for the most accurate location reading of your AirTag, it needs to be in areas where multiple Apple devices are in close proximity. Basically, you need to be close to other people.
If you live in an urban or suburban area, chances are many people around you have iPhones — it’s the most popular smartphone in the world, after all. That means an AirTag will work well for locating your pet. If your dog (or cat) gets lost, every time it approaches someone with an iPhone, its location will be updated, and that should be often.
3. They’re cheap, easy … and pretty durable
AirTag is the most affordable device sold by Apple. You can buy one from Apple for $29, but they’re often sold for less from third-party sellers like Amazon. They’re super easy to set up and really easy to check in — you just need to get familiar with the Find My app.
Also, AirTags are surprisingly rugged little devices. Each is rated IP67, meaning it can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. Normally, if your dog runs out in the rain or rolls in the mud, it won’t damage the AirTag.
Why AirTags is not good pet tracker
1. They are not as effective in rural areas
Because AirTags rely on other iPhones (and other Apple devices) to work, they won’t be nearly as reliable in sparsely populated areas. If you are in a rural area where there are not many people and your dog is running around, its AirTag will not update as often and it will be more difficult to determine its location.
When you open the Find My app, it will show your dog’s last location before it went out of range. When your dog next gets in range of another iPhone or Apple device, it may be located in a different and distant location.
For those in rural areas, you may consider purchasing a GPS pet tracker such as Cube GPS, Link GPS or Tractive GPS. They are more expensive, but they use GPS and cellular to track your pet.
2. You don’t want your dog to eat AirTag
If you decide to use an AirTag to track your pet, make sure it’s out of the animal’s reach. There are tons of stories of dogs eating AirTags — just check it out Wall Street Journal article — and getting it out could be a nightmare if it doesn’t pass. It can also be expensive. Not only that, but if the CR2032 battery inside the AirTag is damaged, it can become toxic. So you want to get the AirTag on your pet as soon as possible.
It’s been a few years since Apple first introduced AirTags, but there are still very few pet accessories that attach to your dog’s collar. Most AirTag accessories are keychains, which attach low and are likely to be accessed by a determined dog. So before buying an accessory, make sure it fits your dog’s collar and your dog doesn’t chew it.
3. You have to remember to change the battery
Honestly, battery life isn’t that big of a concern when it comes to AirTags. Each one runs on a CR2032 battery — which is relatively inexpensive — and, in my experience, will last over a year. Of course, you’ll want to replace the battery because if you don’t, the AirTag won’t be able to track your pet.
To check your AirTag’s battery life, simply open the Find My app on your iPhone, open the Items tab and search for the AirTag. If the battery is low, it will tell you. If it’s not low, nothing will show up (which, frankly, is a little frustrating). So your best bet is to check it regularly.
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