AirTags and Nudgent
Many people already have an AirTag, so it is worth being clear about what Nudgent can do with one. The short answer is: nothing automatic. Apple only lets its own Find My app see an AirTag.
What Nudgent can't do
- See where an AirTag is, or whether it is nearby.
- Alert you when an AirTag goes out of range.
- Make an AirTag play a sound, or turn on its alerts for you.
Apple gives apps no way to do these things. Tools that get around this are unofficial and would need your Apple Account sign-in, so Nudgent doesn't use them.
What Nudgent does offer
You can add an AirTag in Nudgent (Essentials, then +, then Add AirTag) as a labelled reminder with a shortcut that opens Find My. It is not counted as "with you" and never appears in the pre-drive check, because Nudgent can't know.
AirTags are for belongings, not people
Apple says AirTags and similar Find My items should not be used to track people. Using one to track a person without their consent can be a crime in many countries. There are practical problems too:
- If the person carries an iPhone, it can alert them that an AirTag is moving with them, and may offer to disable it. Strangers' phones can also alert, and the tag can sound after it has been away from its owner for some hours, which can be distressing.
- An AirTag doesn't use GPS. It relies on other people's iPhones passing by to report where it is, so updates can be slow, out of date, or missing in quiet places. It is not a live location, and not suitable when minutes matter.
- The "left behind" alert goes to the iPhone that moves away from the tag. It doesn't fire at a Trusted Location such as home, which is where you would most want it.
If you are thinking about a tag for a person with dementia, read Is a tag right for you? first, and use a person tag (Bluetooth range alert) rather than an AirTag.
If the person has an iPhone
Apple has its own, consent-based way to share location between people in Find My. That is a matter for the person and you to set up in Find My, with their agreement, and Nudgent isn't involved.
Using an AirTag on your belongings, with Find My
- Open Find My, tap Items, then your AirTag.
- Tap Notifications, then Notify When Left Behind, and turn it on. Allow notifications for Find My.
- Add Trusted Locations for places where you can leave it, such as home.
- Turn on Notify When Found, and in Lost Mode add a phone number so a finder can contact you.