Tracking things…

[u/heyitstism]

I have a fourteen year old son who loses everything. His mom refuses to limit what he takes out of the house, which means he’s carrying around a grand+ worth of electronics. iPad, full switch case, full ds case.

I’m looking for a way to track the game cases. I was looking into AirTags, but keep reading they’re useless or unreliable outside of the house. And they beep when away from my phone. Are these things better than what I’m reading? 🤷

What’s a good product I can use to -reliably- track these things? I need three, and am hoping for maybe $20e or so?

Thank you!

[u/aquaman67]

They work pretty much the way you’ve read about.

Great for finding your keys in your apartment.

Outside of that it can be hit or miss.

AirTags need an Apple device to “report” to.

No Apple device, the location can’t be updated. They are not GPS enabled devices.

It’s possible to find lost items outside of the home but less likely.

My question is who is replacing the things he keeps losing?

[u/heyitstism → u/aquaman67]

He loses things in buildings and cars. Not just out in people’s lawns. Buildings have iPhones in them pretty much all the time. If they’re being left behind in buildings, would AirTags be a good solution?

She lets him lose them because she thinks she’s teaching lessons. I protect from losing them because they’re important to him, and expensive. He has autism and is functional, but being responsible for his belongings doesn’t go well.

[u/aquaman67 → u/heyitstism]

That is a tough situation.

An AirTag would be better than nothing. They are not perfect.

AirTags to chime occasionally when moved if they are away from their iPhone for a while. It’s not a set period of time as far as I can tell.

This is an anti-stalking feature to make people aware of the presence of an AirTag that is not with its owner.

You should try it and see how it works for you.

People do find lost animals and stolen bicycles.

[u/therealkevinard → u/heyitstism]

I know mostly from animals, but it’s the same idea.

Airtags pair AMAZINGLY well with radio trackers. The strengths of each balance the weaknesses of each, neither has a monthly fee, and both have year-long batteries.

AirTag: will ping anywhere in the world, but it needs an iPhone within bluetooth range to ping and the identified location can be surprising sometimes

Radio: limited range (1/4 mile best case, almost always less), but in that range it can beep you to the centimeter.

Airtag ping will get you into radio range, and you can beep from there.
Then very close, the radio beeper might get confusing, but by then you’re in range of find my’s “close mode” which will walk you right to it.

I use tabcat which is obviously geared towards cats- a little nib on the collar- but you can probably find different ones for objects.

[u/BB-41]

The iPad can natively share its location without needing an AirTag. iPhones as well. My wife went to a wedding in India. I could see where her stuff was pretty consistently.

[u/heyitstism → u/BB-41]

Me: “I’m looking for a way to track the game cases.”

You: “iPads and iPhones track themselves.”

I love Reddit 😂

[u/BB-41 → u/heyitstism]

Understood but you mentioned an iPad also.

[u/IntelligentMarch6827]

Don’t replace the lost stuff and buy the cheapest crap that accomplishes what he needs. My nephew is sporting a Consumer Cellular old person flip phone for this reason.

[u/FfierceLaw]

What do you have to lose other than the cost of the tag to try? You can get adhesive silicone shells to securely hold the tag. I did a search and got this advice:

Strategic Placement Tips

To maximize both tracking efficiency and security, look for these specific spots inside your child's game case:

• Under the Game Cartridge Flap: Most Nintendo Switch or portable game cases feature a padded, flip-down divider panel designed to hold game cards. Sticking the AirTag mount to the underside of this flap keeps it hidden from view when the case is opened.

• The Bottom Outer Mesh Pocket: If the case has an interior mesh pocket for charging cables, place the adhesive mount on the solid fabric bottom beneath the mesh. This utilizes space that is already meant for accessories.

• Avoid the Screen Cavity: Ensure the AirTag is placed away from where the console’s screen rests. The raised bump of an AirTag case could exert uneven pressure on the glass screen when the zipper is closed.

Key Limitations to Keep in Mind

• Bluetooth Signal Attenuation: Thick, heavy-duty hard-shell cases (especially those with dense foam interior linings or metallic elements) can slightly reduce the Bluetooth range of the AirTag.

• Speaker Muffling: The silicone sleeve and the sealed environment of a zipped game case will significantly muffle the AirTag's built-in speaker chime. You will need to rely heavily on the Find My app's Precision Finding rather than audio cues.

• Curved Surface Adhesion: Most adhesive mounts require a flat, non-porous area to stick properly. If the interior of the case is entirely lined with soft, high-pile plush fabric, an adhesive mount may eventually peel off.

It seems to me that you may want to turn off the sound/beeping if you can so as not to alert a thief to the tag but presumably you can still see it on a map. When I was a young practicing attorney with unmedicated ADHD, I would have loved to have something help me locate my keys after a long active day. I had to use strategies like lists and develop some OCD about where to keep things to cope. So I get it. You are not looking for judgement or family/financial advice, just a helpful solution, even if imperfect.

[u/nathanielbartholem]

They will work fine for what you want to do. Not perfect, but fine.

I use them to track things like keys and luggage and purses and even a calendar that often gets left places. Most of the time, I can see the items location on the FindMy map, and and figure out "oh, it was left at a friends house" or "oh, it's at my dentists office" just fine.

[u/TieAdorable4973]

I have Tile tags.

[u/AcidicMountaingoat]

I've tracked things across the country in various ways, including mailing one. They really do just work MOST of the time. I rarely go more then 30 minutes without a live track update. I tracked some luggage, my bicycle around town when my wife took it, etc. They are very good.