is it possible to Use Precision Finding of air tags to find a house door?

By Hadi, 22 February, 2025

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

I've never used Precision Finding before, how accurate is it?
I'm new to my place, and wanted to put an air tag in the house, close to the door to the outside, so I can be guided to it from the outside sometimes when I get disoriented, is this possible? do I need a different device for this?
thanks.

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Comments

By Icosa on Saturday, February 22, 2025 - 15:16

I do this and it is easily accurate enough to not just find the door but in my case the door handle. I use an air tag holder intended for dog collars that I wasn't happy with, it just has a big loop you put through itself like some lanyards and I hang it from the inside handle. All you need to do is get within range which can be a little hit or miss as you walk by, I find I have more success if I'm walking a couple feet away from the building line it seems to give the phone a better signal from the airtag.

By PaulMartz on Saturday, February 22, 2025 - 15:16

I haven't used AirTags. I understand they use batteries, so as long as your battery doesn't die, it should work.

Many outdoor navigation apps let you place a beacon, which isn't a perfect solution due to commercial GPS imprecision. It would get you close to where you might want to go, but might be 5 or 10 meters off on any given day.

By Hadi on Saturday, February 22, 2025 - 16:16

So, if I'm a block away from the air tag, will it not give me directions to it?

Just in case anyone is wondering, the address pin is wrong in my location in all map apps, so I can't rely on that. sometimes Uber drivers drop me off at the wrong pinalso.

By Gar on Saturday, February 22, 2025 - 20:16

You might be able to view the tag on a map, but precision finding only works from around thirty feet away. So no, you won't be able to get directions, as such, just a general bearing/distance.

By DurDevil on Saturday, February 22, 2025 - 23:16

When out of the range of the AirTag, you could use what 3 words. Find the What 3 words grid name for your door/entrance and save it – you can then use this for navigation plus I believe Uber accepts a what 3 words address for delivery/collection points so no more dropping off at the wrong place.

By Icosa on Sunday, February 23, 2025 - 02:16

I find reliable connection closer to five to ten feet, walls can interfere wit this. Think of it as more like bluetooth. Once connected the accuracy is such that it can not only guide you to the jacket containning the airtag, but also the pocket the airtag is in.

Battery expectancy for an airtag is over a year depending on how heavily it's used and the app warns you well in advance when the battery needs replacing. They're standard CR2032 cells so they're pretty easy to obtain.

By Travis Roth on Sunday, February 23, 2025 - 15:16

Sorry, what are you talking about?

By Icosa on Sunday, February 23, 2025 - 18:16

What three words is an app which replaces numeric coordinates with a name created using three words from a long list, the world being divided into squares roughly ten feet across. It's meant to be a more understandable way to convey location information and doesn't rely on addresses, it can be useful for finding the exact location especially for larger buildings or campuses where you might need to specify the location of an entrance. It's also been used in some cases to rescue people who get in trouble during outdoor activities.