I had a vehicle stolen which was Air-tagged. Police were able to recover it based on the location I got from the AirTag, but it was out by a small margin and updates of it's location were days apart. I did not put it in lost mode for fear of revealing it's location; I had not know how to disable the speaker, so this is a great piece of knowhow. Thanks! PS: Several other vehicles were recovered at the same time as a result 🙂

@ahgflyguy

Жыл бұрын

"I did not put it in lost mode for fear of revealing it's location;" The airtag itself knows nothing of "lost mode" just like it knows nothing of its location. The Lost Mode setting just means that Apple's servers will forward any location packets with your Airtag's identifier (or your phone will go and look for those packets periodically). The airTag is completely unaware of the existence of a "lost mode". Also, a better piece of hardware to use for this is the Atuvos Tracker. It uses the same Find My network, but it doesn't have the precision finding feature which a thief could use to find it inside of your car (which is a feature Apple just enabled recently- allowing OTHER people to precision-locate YOUR tracker if they have stolen your item). So yeah. Atuvos (though the speaker is harder to disable than on an airtag). Or Chipolo.

@HollywoodCharityAuctioncom

Жыл бұрын

@@ahgflyguy Atuvos Tracker should only be used as a backup - not instead, as it only has 400 ft range.

@ahgflyguy

Жыл бұрын

@@HollywoodCharityAuctioncom you do realize that these all have about the same range, right? I’ve gotten an Atuvos signal picked up from 300 yards away (not 300 feet. Yards). The distance at which your (my) iPhone can connect to them is much shorter. But it was the same for the Atuvos and the AirTag. They all broadcast at the same power, once every 2 seconds, and they have similar antennas. Advertised range is not a deciding factor.

@smgt90

Жыл бұрын

My cousin has had her car stolen twice. She managed to find it the two times thanks to the airtag.

@AlabamaTree

Жыл бұрын

@Craig Saunders - if you didn’t put the tag into ‘lost mode’ and the police still found your vehicle why do you need to put it into ‘lost mode’ ? Sorry I’m a bit puzzled and just after some advice. I don’t want to take the speaker out if I don’t have to.

You sound like Chris Fix.

Жыл бұрын

was about to comment the same thing!

@kiidzbop2621

Жыл бұрын

Lol had to check the username to make sure this wasn't Chris fix

@stanleymuravha6238

Жыл бұрын

Exactly man the moment he said “in the event”….. i was like is this chris fix new page

@lior.camera

Жыл бұрын

Also the hand movements are the same

@ni4nijustice855

Жыл бұрын

It's him guys

The problem is not the sound, it's the fact that tracker alarms the thief that a tracker is following them

@malange42

5 ай бұрын

Key point.....surprised that no one has spoken to this issue

@flash12319

5 ай бұрын

@@malange42agreed. I’d like more information on this

@jayjay2k27

4 ай бұрын

anyway they still need to find it, if you hide it well enough.

@u2feeder

4 ай бұрын

I guess if a thief has stolen your vehicle, knows there is an AirTag but can’t find it then the longer they can’t find it the more “hot” the vehicle becomes and the probability increases they’ll abandon it.

@Sashazur

3 ай бұрын

Yes this is a flaw with the whole idea. But it’s better than no way to track your car at all.

Great video! I didn't want to remove the speaker, though it looks relatively easy. What I did was place the airtag inside a first aid kit (closeable plastic box) and then put the box in the trunk area of my Forrester under towels and other clothing. Didn't hear a peep, and I think the range was improved over having it in the main seating area of the car.

@OrionCorsari

6 ай бұрын

The problem with this approach is thieves will often start tossing loose stuff out of your vehicle. The most effective approach is silencing the tag and putting it someplace where the thief is highly unlikely to find it. The dome light is an excellent spot because it does not block RF transmission into the cars interior.

Just completed this on two AirTags, works like a charm. Used iFixit tweezers to pry. Cheers

Just did this and works great. Note to anyone doing this, be careful taking apart, the battery contacts are very small and bendable.

Great video. Thank you for the step by step procedure. I am getting a new car soon and I was going to put an AirTag in it to protect it. I had no clue about disabling the speaker. Five stars. Thanks!

Great video! Super helpful. Step-by-step instructions worked perfect. Now I can track my car QUIETLY if its ever stolen. Thanks.

The steering column area is a bad idea since the thief will most likely rip that panel off to break your ignition.

Thanks for the very detailed instructions on how to use the Air Tag as an anti-theft device. I am going to put one in my car today.

Still very useful if you’ve forgotten where you’ve parked your car in a very large car park at a shopping mall

@siesiechampion

3 ай бұрын

I just set off my car alarm to locate lol

Bro thanks for this video. I got my car stolen 3 times in 3 months already because I rent them out via UberCarshare. Going to get the proper tracker, but for now, going to use this. Thankyou

I have a BMW X5 35d with the Thule OEM rack crossbars. I put the AirTag in the plastic end housing of the cross bar which has a lock on it. Perfect.

@georgejungle138

2 ай бұрын

Thanks ;)

Short and sweet, straight to the point. 👌

This video is awesome, lately I have not been driving my car as much, and every two days when I do drive it, the airtag is going off, i dont know for how long, and now I need to replace its battery! So I will remove the speaker as a bonus! I am the only person who drives it and just by sitting for a long time in the driveway, it keeps going off, it is only audible from the inside when I open it, and a thief will notice if stolen, will take like 10 minutes to reach it, but will hear it! thank you a lot, I have one hidden inside the metal panels in my car, and I need now to replace the battery, will take me a long time to remove it, but without the speaker I dont have to worry about putting it too deep into car metal panels lol

Remember, the battery has to be changed once a year, make sure you can retrieve it later. A big negative with the Apple AirTag is the fact that it can often goes several HOURS without updating its location, even in an area packed with other iPhone users.

@james_gatlin

Жыл бұрын

it will notify with about 2 months of life left

@IDABAYAREA650I

Жыл бұрын

Ive haven’t experienced it for HOURS , might have a defective unit

@jimj2683

Жыл бұрын

When you put it in lost mode, it will start updating its location every 2-3 minutes or more often.

@IDABAYAREA650I

Жыл бұрын

@@jimj2683 *Interesting! Good to know! Thank you, i have one in my truck so Now i know if it ever gets stolen! 👍🏽*

@1991NOS

Жыл бұрын

@@james_gatlin I feel like there must be a feasible way to apply dc power at all times. It would make it so much more enticing.

Its worth mentioning that the battery life is about a year on AirTags so you need to hide it in a place where you can get back to it to change the battery in the future.

@Sashazur

3 ай бұрын

And if you lose it behind the seat like I did you so have to put up with months of low battery notifications from your phone before it finally dies.

@Neodustin

3 ай бұрын

@@SashazurSorry, but that’s hysterical. Thanks for the laugh 😂

@moorepower13

2 ай бұрын

It's a good idea just to change the battery on every oil change

Nice looking FJ! Thanks for the tips using the Airtag, I will install one in my motorcycle.

Cheers James. I will now buy as beforehand I was unsure because of the speaker letting the thief know where it was to damage it. Good work. 🏆👍

Best way, in my opinion, leave 2 inside car, 1 not well hidden for thiefs to find fast, and another well hidden

@predatormc

6 ай бұрын

Good idea could even get a dummy/broken one for the easy to find one

A really great "how to" video. Every detail is laid out and so I finished in a few minutes. Thanks a lot!

Might work great with a CR2032 to USB adapter that you could hook up somewhere in the vehicle. Hardwire a 12v to USB adapters and then you'd have unlimited battery life

Thx for the great tutorial. Removed 3 speakers flawlessly :D

Best place to hide a tracker like airtag in your car would be a spot high in the interior least obstructed by metal with line of sight to the outside. I'm thinking inside the center plastic mirror housing would be ideal. My second choice would be under top dash panel, or under window pillar cover. Think high, and open. Wireless signal is very directional, the closer to line of sight (still hidden) to all the other iphones, the better it will work. Good idea deleting the speaker, btw.

@alienlatino2945

Жыл бұрын

I installed mine under the headrest cover of the front seat, this way it's in a high and very receptive position since all 4 windows are facing it.

@steveshuffle

Жыл бұрын

how come removing the speaker is so good? Does it ring automatically under certain conditions?

@maxx1nsane

Жыл бұрын

@@steveshuffle You can make it do a noise to find it easier. The idea is to be difficult to be found by "bad" people.

@brianwest2775

5 ай бұрын

Test the possible locations to see which has the best range.

@guruoo

5 ай бұрын

@@brianwest2775 Well, yeah. 🙄

Thank you for the awesome hack! Totally doing this with my Jeep Summit!

@TurpentineCat

4 ай бұрын

It’s even good enough to be put in my Pagani!

Hi. I'm in the UK and seriously thinking of using the airtag exactly how you've shown as a great alternative way of tracking your vehicle without expensive phone plans, as gps trackers usually use sim cards. Thanks for this v.informative video James 😀😀👍👍🎯

@stevemahoney5209

Жыл бұрын

@Keltic D Cheers. All this info is correct but the air tag is a cheaper alternative that is very much worth considering and just may work 😀

@HelplessHawk

Жыл бұрын

I was wondering that. It only tracks 30 meters from your phone so your relying on other people on the app searching for it and reporting it’s whereabouts?

@stevemahoney5209

Жыл бұрын

​@@HelplessHawk I'm sure the Apple Tag reports it's location direct to your iPhone. You don't need to rely on people reporting it's whereabouts onto an app.

@crystalparker9117

Жыл бұрын

@@HelplessHawk any apple device in the find my network within 33 feet automatically updates the owner of the AirTag to the last known location. It works really well I have many AirTags for my valuables, backpack, purse, wallet, car keys, car, even my pup who likes to escape whenever I’m not around. Best thing is, as more and more people get iPhones they will become much more reliable as a tracker because of more frequent pings

@nirfz

10 ай бұрын

The problem i see with it, is that it relies on apple devices being in bluetooth range to update information. If let's say your car thief is an android user and no apple user is anywhere close nough, the airtag will do exactely nothing. And, i am not an expert in air tag stuff, but as far as i learned, if you are an apple user, and you are the only person near an airtag for long enough, (and not the actual owner of it) there will be an information on your phone at some point that there is an airtag near you that isn't yours. Also there is an even cheaper alternative if you still want to go that route: the manufacturer that makes these for apple sells their own ones which are easier to replace the battery by the user (different housing) but work the same way (only with apple devices as data transport medium). But i forgot the name of the manufacturer. (a working collegue of mine has one for his car keys and his wifes.)

Great video I was just looking for such a video Thanks bud

As you placed the tag inside the car, would this not effect the signal? Should the tag be placed outside the car, as in the bumper etc? Just wondering! Thanks for the video 😎👍🏽

The first part was helpful, thank you. I bought a fixture to use that helps you hide the air tag. So, I'm going to try and find a secret area to place it in the car.

Good stuff, thanks!!

Thanks for the tutorial James. Nice looking FJ BTW 👍🏼 And a great idea to hopefully find your vehicle if it gets stolen.

I just wanted to let you know that I have watched this informative video, a you tube video, that you have made, and it carefully thought me how to, exactly do what I need I need to do, which is to properly and carefully hide my tracker, that is a airtag tracker, which is made from apple company, that works with my iPhone, here on this earth and ….

You will get much more frequent updates if you place it right under the wind screen. Some cars such as Ford Focus have an easily removable cover where you can put it under so it sits right at the front.

@alienlatino2945

Жыл бұрын

It's not necessary, these tags can be picked up from 250 to 300 ft away by other phones, a 5-ft shorter or longer distance won't make a difference, what makes the difference is that it's not obstructed by metal panels so don't put it under your hood or inside a door.

@johnf.hebert1409

10 ай бұрын

@@alienlatino2945 my whole car is metal.

@alienlatino2945

10 ай бұрын

@@johnf.hebert1409 Even the windows? Show me a pic.

Thanks for the epic hack fellow FJ owner! Like the unique way you painted you bumper wings and center strip 👍 👌

Thanks for the info. But how can you locate the vehicle if the AirTag has a 30 foot range? Never used it so I’m just asking.

Thank you for the insight!

Your video was suggested for me to watch. I just purchased a 2011 FJ Cruiser. You better believe I'm doing this hack. She's my new baby.? ♥️

Test the range of the tag when outside/inside your car. There may be some hiding spots that are better than others for transmission that can catch phones that are further away.

Some extra tips: - Dont leave the big shiny apple logo on the airtag, paint it with a mate color so it's hard to find with a flashlight. If you know electronics you can leave only the circuit so is harder to deduce wth is that. - Put it as far away from the metallic structure so it doesn't absorb the signal and allows a better range of comms. As higher as possible is better so it gets better GPS signal. If you know dlectronics you can boost the antennas.

@techguydilan

4 ай бұрын

AirTags don't have their own GPS, they connect to any local iPhones via their bluetooth, and uses their GPS sensors. Other than that, you're spot on. But pretty much any place where it can get a good bluetooth connection to someone in the cab is okay. Also, I always wondered about setting up a VRM to output 3.2v and wiring it to the vehicle itself so it never runs out of battery.

Looks easy. Thanks

Merci beaucoup - hadn't thought of disabling the speaker until I saw this.

Cool video with great ideas. Getting these for our ebikes.

Great video! JEALOUS of the FJ. The only thing is finding a good spot that is still accessible when you need to change the battery.

@james_gatlin

9 ай бұрын

Thanks, and good point 👍

Great video. My car was stolen and I'm going to place one in my new car. Thanks for the tips!

it has to be high up on a window etc so you can get a good signal out for max tracking

I like the idea of beeping for suitcase or purse... But love the idea of being silent in car... I don't want thief to know we are tracking!

5:19 👈🏼😂 The moment that He exposed his airtag location !! 🤣

Great vid. Thanks

Stick the AirTag with double side tape,I think the headrest would make a good place as it’s not hot or direct sunlight

@davidwill1320

Жыл бұрын

You can get 3rd party cases, in a variety of colors, that have an adhesive back. If nothing else, it prevents the tag from bouncing around while driving.

@normanrechtman3885

7 ай бұрын

They sell AirTag holders that have double sided 3M tape to mount it places a thief would have a have time finding

Great Vid. Nice Ride!

When we cannot hear the sound, a supported iPhone model with Ultra Wideband, can also tap Find Nearby to use Precision Finding to help you locate the unknown AirTag.

THANKS MATE, IT REALLY HELPED ME! GOD BLESS

I glued mine (without removing the speaker) in the boot. It's in the boot-lid. Don't put in places that a thief or car-jacker might open up for parts or to steal stuff from the vehicle. Boot lid is something that most thieves won't touch unless he's stepping down the whole vehicle to its bare-bones. Plus, when its in the boot, the sound of the beeper in the Air-Tag is very faint or not noticeable at all if you're driving.

@BigOsTaco

10 ай бұрын

What’s a “boot”? Besides this --> 👢

@MrSnazzy682

9 ай бұрын

@@BigOsTacoI think British people call the trunk the boot, not sure though

@BigOsTaco

9 ай бұрын

@@MrSnazzy682 yes your correct. I looked it up

What do u think about putting 2 of them in it just incase they look for one and find it?

Interesting. Great demo.

what app is that you using for the airtag finder?

thanks this is really helpful i have a very rare and exprensive older cr and i was putting a at in it but now this is much better to remove the speaker

Great Video thanks for the detailed information I just bought a 4 pack I will probably put 2 in my car in different places just to screw with the car thief 😂also better chance of pinging either side or ends of the vehicle I’m thinking put one in the outside plastic mirror would probably be a great spot and one in a more difficult to find location. If it lets the criminals know they are being tracked I don’t care more than likely they will get out of the vehicle as soon as they know it’s there. If there are 2 hidden tags then they won’t hang around hopefully they leave the vehicle before damaging it

@RoboNurse84

Жыл бұрын

That’s a really good idea! If you put 2 or more air tags in the vehicle you can at least scare the thieves by having one play the alarm and the other(s) silent and hidden in a different location. The thieves might quickly abandon the vehicle if they think they’re being tracked instead of taking it somewhere further away.

@Steve-007

8 ай бұрын

Better to use a Tile and an AirTag than 2 Tiles or 2 AirTags

Nice super easy Video Thanks

Ideally you want the device outside of your vehicle provided it will still be protected from the elements. Putting it outside of your vehicle gives the device the best chance of pinging people’s IOS devices which will give the device the best chance for updating its location accurately. This also means installing it inside or behind a material like plastic or rubber and not metal which will be less likely to interfere with the device’s transmission and reception range.

Once you found your spot what adhesive do you recommend that will strongly secure the air tag?

@markk2060

Жыл бұрын

velcro works well to hold in place then easily remove for battery change.

Thank you very much. If you block the airtag too much will that interfere with the signal and how far can a tracker go before you lose the signal or do you ? If someone takes it out of state can you still find it assuming they haven’t found the tracker

@phillipkramer1897

8 ай бұрын

Yes you can. Crossing state lines doesnt matter. Crossing international boarders also wont make a difference

I’m impressed 😊

I think a nice thing to do would be adding a different bigger battery with a charging module. Every time the car starts, the battery charges.

My car was stolen 1 month ago, I wish I saw this video earlier. Thanks for the tutorial

@em0_tion

Жыл бұрын

Wouldn't have changed a damn thing. Seeing is not doing or foreseeing, so don't sweat it. 😉 And I hope you've reported it and the cops will find those bastards and your car. 🙏✌

@pinecedar180

10 ай бұрын

@@em0_tion lets be honest and not lie to people, it WOULD have helped most definitely but yes its ok, its the past. Lets look to the future

How do you have maplights in your fj

Does "find my location" app keep the last place that an AirTag was found/recorded? I mean, in case today I want to find where I parked my car yesterday, will the app show me the last time the AirTag was found, including: a. the moment I left my car yesterday, carrying my iPhone with me, which supplies the AirTag with the location data at that moment? b. the last time, during the one day period that my car was parked, that any iPhone was close enough to my car in order to share data location with the AirTag? Thank you in advance.

Take the coil out too, because it makes a little bit of noise as well

Hello James ! --- At the end of your video, at about 5:05, witch app do you used to locate your AirTag ? --- Thanks ! ✌

@dR1923

5 ай бұрын

"Find My" app, it's standard on all Apple devices which have a SIM card.

Good idea, but never put anything in the steering column. Also don’t put it too close to the exterior metal as the metal can interfere with the tag’s signal and may make the triangulation more difficult. Although it will still be close enough to spot you vehicle.

Thanks for the great video.

amazing and helpful

Does it ring every time you log in to check the location or just when you mark it lost?

Since Apple warned people if an AirTag which doesn't belong to them has an AirTag following them it's not a good choice. The new update allows not to be warned on the Tile trackers. But it's not on apples network. However I suggest placing it as far away from the driver as possible. Preferable wrapped with waterproof plastic bag in the bumper or under the car as far back as possible. Do remember to change the battery every year. Even though it will inform the thief that an AirTag is following you, a good idea would be to hide it a solid place that would take a special tool to remove when they find it, and always place more then just one.

@marquisnelson9618

Жыл бұрын

Had that happen me recently someone followed me with AirTag how to stop it?

@pinecedar180

10 ай бұрын

It will inform only from 8 to 24 hours and not before that "Currently, users will receive an alert at a random period between eight and 24 hours once an unknown AirTag has been detected traveling with them."

Great video, thanks! 🙂

@james_gatlin

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

Excellent video thank you very much. IfIf a thief is an iPhone user, is there anyway they can detect the presence of one of these devices in the car even though the speaker has been removed?

@pinecedar180

10 ай бұрын

after 8 to 24 hours, yes, they could be alerted and possibly be able to see where its located

@condor5635

10 ай бұрын

@@pinecedar180 I took out the speaker in mine and hid it. There’s no way they’ll find it in my car and less they spend hours and the iPhone allows them to detect within a foot or 2

Thanks you’re great!

Even if you disable a speaker it is still possible to locate AirTag using precise finding (available on iPhone11 and later). Actually it is possible to create an AirTag clone tracker which will be not detectable by phones automatically (iPhone will not notify you). So it there are significant demand it is possible to start manufacturing.

Ilike that speaker part ❤

I’m thinking to avoid to remove battery, and put it on the hood with a proper holder, do you think sound can be heard outside hood?

@james_gatlin

Жыл бұрын

Range will be reduced if in engine bay

@MauricioBecerril

Жыл бұрын

@@james_gatlin, I didn’t suppose that, thanks!.

@shaf3006

Жыл бұрын

Use a double side tape and stick it where you find suitable, avoid hot or direct sunlight

@guruoo

Жыл бұрын

Don't want it exposed to weather, or obstructed by metal. Think high, unobstructed, protected from weather. . Inside the interior mirror housing would be ideal, IMO.

Thanks for the information. I was hoping one could remove the speaker and it would still work.

Would it get picked up more by other people if it wasn't surrounded by too much metal? So the inside the Roof or pillars would be good? Also an AirTag case that looks like a car key would be good for keyrings, or even in case someone finds the AirTag in a Car, they might keep it in case they find your "second car". Nice video, thanks.

Great vid. Are the Apple Air Tags weatherproof? can you install on the exterior of the vehicle, such as engine compartment? once again, great video bro

@james_gatlin

Жыл бұрын

They are water resistant, this modification, however, compromises that resistance, in addition, I wouldn’t recommend the engine bay due to high temperatures.

Order magnetic cases for the AirTags! Ordered two and they are very strong and waterproof

Up to which distance you can track your vehicle. Is their any range for this device ?

@pinecedar180

10 ай бұрын

33 feet from any iPhone that comes near it which is a long distance, enough for tracking

Thank you ChrisFix

I use a magnetic key holder which you can attach underneath the cars chassis to be completely undetectable.

Great video. can i know where did you buy you working MAT?

@james_gatlin

Жыл бұрын

Thanks, it’s actually just a generic desk mat i got off Amazon

@jpbeauch1

Жыл бұрын

@@james_gatlin Thanks

Thx. for the video, that was great info. Can you tell me if i can use this to track my Cat.? I have an outdoor cat and i was thinking of putting this in his collar in case he gets lost. Will it work?

Outstanding

Question, who is sending the signal to me in Find My app? Is it the airtag it self or is it the iphone that will be near the airtag hidden in the car? Could be that if the iphone sending me the signal is moving away quickly from the airtag/car so it s not accurate? Like iphone sending the signal shows a location but the airtag/car is 1 km away

Good information - thanks.

@james_gatlin

Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

great video, thank you. Since the purpose of this to make sure that thieves/criminals are not alerted to the AirTag being in the car, hence taking out the speaker. But what happens if a criminal has an iPhone or some other Apple device that can alert/notify them that they are being 'followed' by an unknown Airtag?

@nullfox955

11 ай бұрын

They can see it’s following them but can’t find it

@pinecedar180

10 ай бұрын

"Currently, users will receive an alert at a random period between eight and 24 hours once an unknown AirTag has been detected traveling with them." - meaning you have at least 8 hours to start finding the location of your stolen car. I want to also use the Google tag when it comes out, as an additional tracker.

Thanks for sharing

Chris Fix on Decaf - good either way!

thanks Chris Fix !

Bro let me be the first, that's the best Toyota they ever made, that FJ Cruiser is sweet. I hope they bring it back, pretty please bring it back Toyota

If is inside the car heat will destroy it very quickly. Best to clip it to a high dry and cool location. Eg wheel arch or behind head light. Use a key ring.

How about making the air tag speaker mute or not . I think Steve would approve 😊

A very well made video! Thank you Sir 🙌