Apple’s AirTag uses a combination of Bluetooth and the Find My network to function without requiring its own internet connection. Here’s how it works:
1. Bluetooth Connection
- AirTag uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to communicate with nearby devices.
- If you’re within range (typically around 30-100 feet, depending on surroundings), your device (iPhone or iPad) can directly connect to the AirTag via Bluetooth to locate it.
2. Find My Network
- When the AirTag is out of your Bluetooth range, it relies on Apple’s Find My network, a crowd-sourced network of millions of Apple devices worldwide.
- If any Apple device within the network passes near the AirTag, it can detect the AirTag’s Bluetooth signal and securely relay its location to you through the internet.
3. No Internet Required for AirTag
- For the AirTag: The AirTag itself does not have an internet connection or a GPS chip. It emits Bluetooth signals that other devices can detect.
- For Your Device: If you’re within Bluetooth range, you don’t need the internet to locate your AirTag. However, to get its location via the Find My network, your device will need an internet connection.
4. How AirTag Location Is Secured
- The location data is encrypted and anonymous. Apple ensures that only the owner of the AirTag can view its location, and the devices on the Find My network don’t know they’re helping to locate your AirTag.
5. Precision Finding (UWB Technology)
- If you have an iPhone with a U1 chip (like iPhone 11 or newer), you can use Precision Finding to locate your AirTag with incredible accuracy, even indoors. This uses Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, which does not require internet access but needs proximity to the AirTag.
And that’s that! hope it makes sense now.
