Apple ’s AirTags and third - political party Find My item prove a blessing as people return to travel in solemn over the last two summer to the extent that some airway even recommend dropping a tracker into your baggage as an extra finding aid . However , what if you check in and then check happen My , and it await like your bag was left behind ?

This is the peculiar nature of Find My items , Apple ’s and licensed third - party ones : they bank on nearby iPhones , iPads , and Macs with net connections to relay up - to - escort location information . Nearby intend within Bluetooth reach , which can be one C of fundament with obstruction and a clear line of internet site . However , with trackers inside baggage , with a mass of suitcase pile up or in BIN , and with no baggage handler with an iPhone close enough for the sign to penetrate , no update will occur .

The rank density of iPhones is high enough that it ’s usually only a irregular issue before an AirTag ’s weak ping over Bluetooth is clean up and passed on ( inscribe , securely , without personal information attach ) by someone ’s equipment .

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you may see a humourous rendering of this if you track your luggage during a flight . Because the cellular radios should be off on all onboard devices and because many planes extend in - escape Wi - Fi , a distorted notion of the current location of bag whose Bluetooth reaches up into the independent cabin can be devolve along . Your suitcase did n’t get thrust out over Lake Erie or country in the centre of a parish in Louisiana . Rather , the inaccurate current location idea of an in - flight gadget was pair off with your shred .

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