Dude, Where’s My Tag?

SAN FRANCISCO, 1PM. GETTING OFF A 16-hour flight only to find out that my bag didn’t make the connection. The airline’s best response at the time was a shrug, a perfunctory reference number and a promise to make things right. Not good.

I opened the Find My app on the iPhone…only to watch a small pulsing dot sit motionless just off Concourse B in Dubai. I filed a precise report with the airline desk and the bag arrived the next day shortly after lunch, sans any frayed nerves (okay, maybe I did watch the bag’s movement like a hawk for a while!).

That was several years ago and ever since, three little white-and-silver discs—one on my keys, one on my carry-on and one on my checked-in luggage (on longer journeys)—have become an invisible but reliable part of my everyday carry. AirTags—or similar offerings that have cropped up over the years—have quietly become the sort of accessory that makes life smoother in ways you only appreciate when you start using one.

Nothing flashy or indicative of your lifestyle choices like a phone case or a wristwatch, AirTags aren’t even something I think about, silently working in the background until you need them when something goes missing. They then become the most important object you own. Like insurance policies, they just exist. You hope you never have to bank on them, but the day you do, you’ll be grateful.

The premise is simple. Each AirTag connects to Apple's Find My network— essentially hundreds of iPhones at any place, acting as a silent, anonymous mesh of location-aware beacons, if you will. If your bag or your keys end up parting ways from you, any nearby iPhone can ping the AirTags location back to you, anonymously of course. When you get close enough, Precision Finding kicks in and your phone can point you in the exact direction of the AirTag, with the tracker helpfully chirping out its presence to anyone within earshot.

And with the recent updates to the second-generation AirTags, Apple has bumped up the range for Precision Finding up by 50 per cent further than before via a newer Ultra-Wideband chip seen on the recent iPhones, with no change in dimensions, weight or compatibility with keyrings, wallet inserts or luggage loops. Not only does this mean you can find out the distance and directions to your items from further off, but you can also now use your Apple Watch Series 9 or later to find your tag as well. No more pulling out your phone. Your wrist simply vibrates and points you toward your lost gear.

If you’ve ever walked around your house following the directional arrows on your phone while it tells you that your keys are “4 – 3 – 2 feet away”, you’ll know how oddly satisfying that is. The speaker is louder as well, for you to hear the chime from further off.

AirTags or their Android-friendly brethren aren’t merely for the forgetful. The first time you watch your luggage move closer to you at the airport upon landing is a somewhat “how did I ever manage without these” moments. It eliminates a lot of guesswork and travel anxiety.

It’s a safety net for the small mistakes that inevitably happen in everyday life: the backpack you left behind at Starbucks, the TV remote that burrows its way between sofa cushions, or the keys that go missing precisely as you’re heading out. Moments of sheer panic that get reduced to slight groans and mild inconveniences, this is R3,790 per tag or R12,900 for a 4-pack that more than earns its place in your daily gear. The only question is: why haven't you got one already?

Xiaomi Tag

Ultra-light (10g), IP67 rated, and compatible with Google Find My Device and Apple Find My ecosystems.

Nomad Tracking Card Pro

Fits in a wallet and looks like a premium credit card, yet one with Apple Find My tracking that lasts up to 16 months on a single charge.

Tile Pro

Comes highly recommended for Android users, slim form factor, with a widespread Tile Network that runs into millions of devices globally

Moto Tag 2

Impressive detection range, ultrawideband compatible for precision-tracking capabilities and findable via Google Find Hub. Goes 500 days without needing a charge, IP68 rated, includes a button that acts as a phone finder or remote camera shutter for your phone.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2

Samsung’s answer to the AirTag, with Precision Finding and audio alerts for Galaxy smartphone users.

To read more stories from Esquire India's April 2026 issue, pick up a copy of the magazine from your nearest newspaper stand or bookstore. Or click here to subscribe to the magazine.