Is an AirTag suitable for keeping track of your child?

An AirTag is not suitable for keeping your child safe. It is not a GPS tracker, because an AirTag only shares its location when an iPhone or iPad happens to be nearby. Apple also designed the AirTag to help you find belongings, not to track people. If your child goes out independently, a GPS tracker or GPS watch is the more reliable choice. Below you can read how an AirTag works, where its limits are and what a GPS tracker for children does differently.

How an AirTag actually shares its location

An AirTag has no GPS of its own and no SIM card. It sends out a Bluetooth signal that is picked up by nearby iPhones, iPads and Macs, which pass the location on anonymously to Apple’s Find My network. So if your child carries an AirTag, you only see a new position when an Apple device happens to pass by.

Setting it up is quick: you pair the AirTag with your iPhone and then see it in the Find My app. If you have an Android phone, you cannot set up an AirTag. The battery lasts about a year, the AirTag is dust and water resistant (IP67) and it can play a sound when you are nearby. That is handy for your keys or a bag, but it remains a finding aid for belongings.

Where an AirTag falls short when it comes to your child

The biggest problem is that you never know for sure how up to date the location you see is. In a busy square it is often updated quickly, but in a quiet street, a park or the countryside it can take a long time before another Apple device comes near.

An AirTag also lacks a number of things you want as a parent:

• No continuous insight. You see a last known position, not a current location or route.
• Limited Bluetooth range. Your phone only connects directly to the AirTag at short distance.
• No safe zones. You get no alert when your child leaves school or an agreed area.
• No contact. Your child cannot call you or ask for help at the press of a button.

Apple has also built in protection against stalking. If an AirTag travels for a longer time without its owner, it will start to beep after a while and the phone of the person carrying it receives an alert. That is a good measure against misuse, but it makes the AirTag even less suitable for keeping track of your child.

When an AirTag can still come in handy

An AirTag can help as an extra aid, but mainly for belongings. In a school bag, on a bike key or in a suitcase, you can find lost things more easily. In busy places such as a shopping centre or a festival, the location is usually updated more often too, because there are many Apple devices around.

Still, that is not something to rely on when it comes to your child. Precisely when you want to know quickly where your child is, for example when they come home later than agreed, you do not want to depend on who happens to walk past. The sound function only helps when you are already close by.

What a GPS tracker for children does differently

A GPS tracker is made to show you where your child is, regardless of who is nearby. A GPS tracker for kids determines its own position via satellites and sends it over the mobile network to the app on your phone. That gives you direct insight, whether your child is in town or out in the countryside.

What you can do with it:

• Direct insight in the app. You see your child’s current location on the map.
• Safe zones. You get an alert when your child arrives at school, for example, or leaves a zone you have set.
• Works with iPhone and Android. You are not tied to one phone brand.
• Calling and SOS. With a GPS watch, your child can call you or ask for help straight away with the SOS button.

If you want your child to be able to contact you as well, a GPS watch for kids is the best fit. With Spotter everything works prepaid, with no fixed monthly costs, and the SIM card is already built in, so you can get started straight away. Spotter is a Dutch brand with more than ten years of experience and over 60,000 users. All data is processed in line with European privacy legislation and customer service is available 24/7.

AirTag and GPS tracker side by side

Put the two side by side and the difference quickly becomes clear.

Still unsure which solution suits your situation best? In the article AirTag or GPS tracker, which is the best choice you can read more about the differences, including for other uses.

Peace of mind when your child heads out alone

An AirTag may seem like a simple and affordable way to keep an eye on your child, but it is not made for that. Without continuous insight, without safe zones and with a location that depends on Apple devices nearby, you do not get the certainty you are looking for.

With a GPS tracker or GPS watch, you do know where your child is, you get an alert when something is not right and your child can reach you when needed. That way you give your child the freedom to head out on their own, while you stay reassured. Take a look at Spotter’s GPS trackers and watches and choose what suits your child.