What devices do the Apple AirTags support?

Apple has finally launched an object tracker of its own – the airbag. If you’ve used an object tracker such as those sold by Tile before, you’ll know the basic premise. However, Apple has also armed the AirTag with support for the Ultra-Wideband technology – thanks to the U1 chip inside – for more accurate location tracking. Priced at $29 a pop (or $99 for a bundle of four), this coin-sized gadget goes on sale later this month. But before they hit the shelves, you must wonder about the compatibility part.

The answer is iPhones, iPads, and iPods. However, the Apple device you’re rocking must be running iOS 14.5, which will be released later this month. Thankfully, you don’t necessarily need to own the latest iPhone to make use of the AirTag, as is evident from the complete list of devices that are compatible with the Apple object tracker:

Now, there is a caveat here. Not all the AirTag features are supported by the devices mentioned above. The best example is Precision Finding, which employs the U1 chip inside the AirTag to locate items using Ultra-Wideband technology for more accurate positioning. However, you need to own an iPhone model with a U1 chip. Apple says that only the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series devices currently support Precision Finding. But later this year, the iPhone 13 series will also be added to the compatibility list.

The airbag is only compatible with Apple devices, not Android phones, primarily because it works after being linked to the Find My app. Get an Android phone with NFC, and be a good samaritan for AirTag owners! The app above is unavailable for Android phones and tablets yet – and likely won’t be released shortly either. However, an Android phone with NFC support might offer a minimal – but valuable – interaction with the Apple object tracker.

Apple has created a Lost Mode that allows you to find an AirTag that has gone out of range. So if you come across an AirTag out in the wild and own an Android phone with an NFC chip inside, you can tap the phone on the tracker to open a Lost Mode message. This Lost Mode message will guide you to a website showing the AirTag’s owner’s contact number so you can help them find their lost object tracker and the attached item.

Moreover, if an airbag is moving with you and makes sounds after being put in Lost Mode by the owner, you can tap your NFC-capable Android phone to silence the tracking device after following on-screen instructions. This will also help you find the necessary information for returning it to the person who lost it in the first place.

Sure, the airbag will come in handy if you often misplace objects like your wallet or car keys, but it is equally vital to shield your phone. If you own an iPhone 12, we’ve rounded up an exhaustive list of the best cases to protect your shiny phone from accidents and keep it pristine.