Other AirTagged iPhones

[marty1980]

I was thinking about how AirTags will update their location if any iDevice passes by it so the owner can find their items (whatever is tagged).

The other day my son thought he left his phone at the eye doctor and Find My showed that as being the last location. The problem was that the battery for the phone died while we were there, so the phone could have been anywhere. It turned out it was in our car.

It would be awesome if Apple saved enough juice when an iDevice died to power a built-in AirTag. That way you have a better chance of having an updated location even if the device is turned off or the battery has “died.”

I’d say put a battery like what the AirTags have inside the device, but that takes physical space. So reserving a small amount of juice from the main battery of the phone to power AirTags for a few days would be worth that insignificant trade-off in battery life.

I’d appreciate seeing this feature starting with the iPhone 12S/13 this year. As well as pretty much every Apple device where it’s physically possible to add AirTag functionality. It would significantly improve the usefulness and accuracy of the Find My network.

 

[Jtludwig]

I was thinking about how AirTags will update their location if any iDevice passes by it so the owner can find their items (whatever is tagged).

The other day my son thought he left his phone at the eye doctor and Find My showed that as being the last location. The problem was that the battery for the phone died while we were there, so the phone could have been anywhere. It turned out it was in our car.

It would be awesome if Apple saved enough juice when an iDevice died to power a built-in AirTag. That way you have a better chance of having an updated location even if the device is turned off or the battery has “died.”

I’d say put a battery like what the AirTags have inside the device, but that takes physical space. So reserving a small amount of juice from the main battery of the phone to power AirTags for a few days would be worth that insignificant trade-off in battery life.

I’d appreciate seeing this feature starting with the iPhone 12S/13 this year. As well as pretty much every Apple device where it’s physically possible to add AirTag functionality. It would significantly improve the usefulness and accuracy of the Find My network.

It actually already does this. If you see the attached screenshot, make sure “send last location” is enabled.

 

[Tsepz]

It actually already does this. If you see the attached screenshot, make sure “send last location” is enabled.

From what I read OP is saying they want the phone to send out a signal when it is already dead, as the issue currently is that it only sends out the location when the battery is low but once dead it doesn’t, so OP is suggesting that the phone itself acts like an AirTag when dead and maybe have a built-in AirTag that has its own battery/space of the battery that operates when the device is dead to update its location.

 

[marty1980]

Correct. The send last location feature isn’t helpful if your device has moved since the battery died. Whereas AirTag functionality would continue to update the location even if the device “died.”

 

[Jtludwig]

Correct. The send last location feature isn’t helpful if your device has moved since the battery died. Whereas AirTag functionality would continue to update the location even if the device “died.”

And what about if the airtag battery goes dead? Does it need its own backup as well?

I mean how far do you carry this? You’re asking for a backup to the backup.

 

[marty1980]

And what about if the airtag battery goes dead? Does it need its own backup as well?

I mean how far do you carry this? You’re asking for a backup to the backup.

AirTags hardly take any power to run. So saving 1-3% of the main battery to power a built in AirTag for a few days or whatever would be worth it for the better tracking. You’ve misunderstood the concept.