Will AirTags Work Inside Luggage? (AirTags For Luggage Guide)

image of an Apple AirTag with a suitcase icon printed on it and a title that reads will AirTags work inside luggage

Whether headed off on vacation or a seasoned business air traveler, wouldn’t you want to know that your luggage was loaded onto your flight? Of course you would! Well, you can using Apple AirTags.

If you’re new to Apple AirTags, one common question is, will AirTags work inside luggage? If you’re perhaps wondering the same, then read on because this article is for you.

The answer to will AirTags work inside luggage is yes, they will!

In fact, AirTags work great inside checked luggage. It’s the best place to put them if you’re flying. With so many Apple devices at an airport, AirTags can send a Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network.

In this article, I explore how you can use AirTags for luggage and explore why using an AirTag inside your luggage is a great idea that offers peace of mind about your luggage’s whereabouts.

image of an Apple AirTag with a suitcase icon printed on it and a title that reads will AirTags work inside luggage
An AirTag can use hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Apple Find My network to track your luggage.

Can You Put An AirTag Inside Your Luggage?

The FAA have approved using an AirTag inside your luggage. Placing an AirTag inside your luggage is the best and safest option. It will protect your AirTag from being accidentally removed as it travels through an airport’s baggage handling system during its journey.

image of a airport baggage cart being unloaded with an AirTag and its location showing in the Find My app
Tracking your bag as its loaded on and off an aircraft is easy.

Luggage that is mishandled happens for many reasons, one such reason is tag-off. A tag-off is where the bag tag itself has separated from the bag and therefore can no longer be sorted, resulting in a bag mishandling.

A tag-off can happen for several reasons, perhaps it wasn’t attached correctly during self-check-in or, perhaps it was ripped off as it made its way through the vast airport baggage handling systems.

The big question is, should you have your AirTag inside or outside your luggage? In my opinion, AirTags work best inside your luggage.

AirTag Bluetooth communication works great inside luggage. Additionally, putting the Apple luggage tracker inside your suitcase would mean that should your bag tag come off or your luggage ends up at the wrong airport, there would be a greater chance of bag recovery. Of course, placing an AirTag inside your luggage means it’s also out of sight of any would-be AirTag thief.

image of AirTag location at IAH airport
AirTag Bluetooth communication inside luggage.

In response to Lufthansa’s ban on AirTags inside luggage, the FAA confirmed the following concerning using AirTags within checked luggage;

“Luggage tracking devices powered by lithium metal cells that have 0.3 grams or less of lithium can be used on checked baggage. Apple AirTags meet this threshold; other luggage tracking devices may not.”

Federal Aviation Authority

Can You Put AirTags On Luggage?

While you can put an AirTag on your luggage, attaching it to the outside of your luggage makes it more susceptible to being accidentally removed while traveling through an airport’s baggage handling system.

image of a woman holding a yellow suitcase with an AirTag in a blue AirTag Loop attached to the handle
Attaching an AirTag to the outside of your suitcase might not be the best idea.

While airport baggage handling systems are becoming more efficient, accidents and damages to luggage do happen. Putting an AirTag on your suitcase certainly does look cool, however, it does mean there is a high chance that your AirTag could be accidentally ripped off your luggage during its journey.

It’s a much better idea to place your AirTag inside the luggage you want to track and minimize any potential for damaging or losing your AirTag. If, however, you do decide to put your AirTag on the outside of your luggage there are some great Apple AirTag accessory options available like the Apple AirTag Polyurethane Loop.

Can You Use AirTags At A Regional Airport?

Whether you’re departing from or arriving at a regional airport within the United States, there is no security restriction on using AirTags for tracking your luggage or bags.

How Do AirTags Work?

Apple’s AirTag tracker uses a CR2032 coin cell battery that Apple says will last up to one year before needing to be replaced. The water and dust resistant tracking device can send a secure Bluetooth signal that is detected by other Bluetooth devices on Apple’s Find My network.

image of an Apple AirTag and its location displayed on the Find My app on an iPhone
With an AirTag you can easily track your luggage right from your iPhone.

Using other Apple devices, an AirTag’s location is transmitted to Apple’s iCloud where it can be tracked within the Find My app. All this communication happens in an anonymous and encrypted way to protect everyone’s privacy. It’s important to note that only you, the AirTag owner, can see where the AirTag is and that the location data and history are never saved on the AirTag itself.

According to Apple there are millions of devices on the Find My network. If you lose an AirTag, switching the AirTag into Lost Mode will allow you to receive a notification once it appears on the Find My network map.

One last point to note, AirTags do a fantastic job at tracking things, however, don’t expect an AirTag to give you real-time location updates. This is especially true when your luggage is traveling through the baggage handling system or, is traveling on a tug to the aircraft.

Once your AirTag is stationary you can expect to receive regular updates of its location every five or ten minutes assuming there are other Bluetooth Apple devices within range.

Can You Share An AirTag’s Location?

An AirTag can only be associated with one Apple ID. This prevents you from sharing your AirTag’s location with family members using Family Sharing.

image of AirTag registration process linking the AirTag to your Apple ID
An AirTag is linked to one Apple ID at registration.

An AirTag is designed so that it can only be associated with one Apple ID, therefore an AirTag’s location cannot be shared. Apple’s Family Sharing feature does not support sharing an AirTag’s location. While this lack of functionality will disappoint some users, it does ensure that your privacy is protected while using an AirTag.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully, I have answered all your questions on will AirTags work inside luggage. You may still have other questions surrounding AirTags. If you do, below, I have answered some popular frequently asked questions, or check out my other article on how to prevent lost luggage using an AirTag.

How much does an AirTag weigh?

An AirTag weighs 0.39 ounces (11 grams).

Does Apple’s Precision Finding work internationally?

Precision Finding does work internationally, but only in countries that support Ultra Wideband.

Can you use AirTags with an Android device?

Android devices that are NFC-enabled can read AirTags that are in Lost Mode.

Should you hide an AirTag in your luggage?

Hiding an AirTag in your luggage is the best place to put an AirTag if you’re flying.

Are AirTags allowed on checked luggage?

The FAA have approved the use of AirTags on checked luggage.

Is there AirTags for luggage on Android?

Apple AirTags are designed to work with Apple iOS only. However, Android devices using NFC can read contact information on lost AirTags.

Final Thoughts On Will AirTags Work Inside Luggage

So, in conclusion. Do AirTags work inside luggage? Yes they do. Placing an AirTag inside your luggage is a great option if you want some extra peace of mind as you travel. The low-cost Apple luggage tracker works extremely well if other Apple Bluetooth devices are in range.

However, don’t expect to receive any real-time tracking updates, it’s more like every 5-10 minutes. But if your luggage becomes mishandled or lost, using Air Tags for your luggage will significantly improve your chances of recovering it!

Are you looking for more smart AirTag ideas? Check out my other article on where to use Apple AirTags.


Stay Curious.
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