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Tracking my cat using airtag? (programming.dev)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/cat@lemmy.world
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I got an android equivalent of Airtag and a cat collar holder, thinking to check where my cat hangs out when he's not home. Not on a regular basis, but to let him wear it a few times to get an idea if i ever have to look for him.

My cat doesn't normally wear any collar, and this collar is a safety release one, so I'm a bit worried it may fall off in one of the neighbours garden, which would be embarrassing to retrieve.

Anyone with experience of using the Tags to track their cat?

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[–] 5 points 2 months ago (4 children)

I think they have limited range. There are more accurate trackers for farther distances but they are expensive, require subscriptions, and look bulkier because of the battery.

Air tags work via Bluetooth signal and are not as accurate. And only connect within Bluetooth range.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 2 months ago

    I'm in a housing estate where houses are very close together (terraced) so im hoping the FindMy network will be dense enough to triangulate the position in most places unless he actually wanders off somewhere more remote, like a green space.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (2 children)

    That would make them completely useless. So I don't believe a word of it.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    All the magic of Airtags is in iOS automatically scanning for them and reporting the phone location when an Airtag is detected.

    Anyone can move an Airtag undetected, as long as it is shielded from being pinged by Apple devices. Apple will continue to report its last detected location.

    Not sure if Google is also playing along.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago*

    Yeah you should definitely read people's reviews. This is why I decided against using them and it's why the gps tracking ones with a subscription exist.

    Because airtags are Bluetooth.

    That's why they can be so small and use such little power.

    Still useful to find your keys. Or track luggage if you are at the airport where it is.

    It can also keep track of location pings. Meaning you can see where something was the last time it connected.

    It's still useful. It's just not a gps tracker.

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