Can You Use AirTag to Track Pet Dogs and Cats?

Last Updated on January, 2025

Afraid of losing your fido? The actual answer might be yes for all the pet owners out there.

Every pet owner wants 100% peace of mind when leaving their furry buddy off leash. For that, keeping an eye on them is crucial by tracking their current location and activities.

What about Apple AirTags for pets? Do you think it’s a better alternative than any other GPS pet trackers? 

Well, so we dug deeper to find how an AirTag can help you.

Quick Summary

Apple AirTags are designed for locating things such as; your wallet, keys, purse, backpack, luggage, etc., and are not meant for pet tracking.

Despite this, AirTags can be used on pets, but Apple does not recommend or endorse this use.

If using AirTags on pets, it is important to remember that they emit an alarm every eight hours if they lose the connection from your phone, and that the tags are not designed to be pet-proof.

What is an AirTag?

airtag package on the table
opened airtag package on the table
a human holding airtag

AirTag is a tracking device developed by Apple. And AirTag is more limited than any other dedicated GPS pet trackers. 

The device was designed for locating things such as; your wallet, keys, purse, backpack, luggage, etc. if they are out of reach from you. 

The item’s general location will be shown on the map by the Apple Airtag whereas the locator arrows will conduct the precise location. 

Can AirTags Be Used on Pets? 

YES! Using AirTags on your furry friends is okay, knowing that you are doing so at your own risk. The company has explicitly stated that they are not going to be responsible. However, it was only to protect the company from any legal actions.

Does Apple Approve the Use of AirTags on Pets?

The answer, in short, is NO! Apple discourages using AirTags on your pets, and they will probably not be held liable for anything that happens to your furry friend.

Use AirTags on Your Own Risk

a dog wearing airtag
a dog wearing airtag
a human wearing airtag to a dog

It’s evident that Apple has made it clear that they do not recommend attaching AirTags on your cats or dogs, but you can do so at your own risk. 

Generally, any innovative business will not take responsibility for any problems arising from what they have not approved.

It is not wrong to try; get one of those Apple AirTag and hang it on your dog’s or cat’s collar. Make sure you choose a high-quality AirTag loop or keyring accessories to fit the device, not letting your canine partners feel annoyed. 

How to Setup an AirTag?

It is pretty simple to set up an Apple AirTag. All you have to do first is; hold the AirTag closer to your iPhone and pull out the battery tab. Then your iPhone Bluetooth will detect the new AirTag. Next, it will launch the Find My App, and you can continue the process. 

Since Apple AirTags has no option to track a pet, you can type in a custom name. Next, you must confirm your phone number and email to register the AirTag to your apple ID. 

If you want to enable “Lost mode” and mark your pet AirTags as lost, go to “Find My Network”on your iPhone and click on the appropriate AirTag.

Next, you should swipe up on the menu option and select “enable” under the lost option heading.

Tap “continue,” enter the email or phone number you want to contact and tap “next.” 

airtag paired with a iPhone

Then finally, select whether you wish to be notified when the lost item is found, add what message you want to show up on the finder’s phone, and tap “activate” at the end.

Here are the best airtag dog collars to hold the airtag.

Are AirTags Effective in Tracking?

airtag with android phone and iphone

There is a point to be considered that AirTags usually depend on ios devices. But any devices which are NFC-enabled could help you, including android users. 

At the same time Find My App does not notify you immediately when you lose your AirTag, whereas a GPS pet trackers would inform you right away when your four-legged-friend leaves the designated area.

Whenever your pets lose their proximity, automatically the AirTags get disconnected. In such cases you can enable the lost mode. 

For example; if your dogs or cats are lost and if people notice the AirTag on your pet’s collar and tap it with their iPhone or even an android device that is NFC-enabled could contact you through the information you have provided, such as your name and phone number if the lost mode is activated. 

With almost a billion devices in the Find my App, it would be way easier to locate your AirTag with the help of the Find My app when your Airtag captures a passing iPhone. 

On the other hand, AirTags use ultra-wideband technology to send signals to your device. It also works well in precision finding when the item is within the normal range of 100 feet.

Tips to Remember While AirTagging Your Pets

a dog wearing airtag
apple airtag with box
a cat wearing airtag

There are specific tips you should consider while AirTagging your dogs and cats.

Your AirTag will emit an alarm every eight hours if it loses the connection from your phone. And this will alert the iphone users that an unknown AirTag is traveling with them. 

If the person who engages in theft has an iPhone, it will show the presence early in time. So it is crucial to find your pet’s location within eight hours of the disappearance. 

If your dogs or cats are subjected to theft, the first thing that comes to the notice of the thief would be any identification.

So I recommend you all make sure you all hide the AirTag from your pet’s neck as much as possible so that people do not draw much attention to it.

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Pros and Cons of AirTagging

Pros

Ability to display your contact info and information, which could help to find your lost pets if it gets to the hand of a good person. 
The lost mode option alarms you whenever your lost dog or cat passes the iPhone cell service, which helps track your dog and cat easily.
Having a Bluetooth range of nearly 100 feet in proximity. 
Unlike other GPS trackers, AirTags are affordable and less expensive, starting from $29 a piece, which requires no monthly subscription. 
It is user replaceable and uses a CR2032 cell battery which will last for about a year and will send you a notification when it is time for a replacement. 
AirTags are dust, splash, and water resistant, which is advantageous
The built-in speaker enables it to emit sounds in certain situations. 
Sixteen AirTags can be connected at the same time. So if you have more than one pet and want to track your furry friends simultaneously, then AirTag is a better option for you than any other pet trackers. 
Personalization option helps you engrave your AirTags for free if you purchase them from an apple store or Apple website.
AirTags are a lightweight and customizable design which won’t be too heavy and will fit your pet collars easily.

Cons

You will not be able to find your lost dog or cat if you live in an unpopulated area with fewer apple users. 
There are many chances for your dog to lose its AirTags if it is not fixed correctly into the dog’s collar. If it fails, then you will be able to find the AirTag but not your furry buddy. 
No notification will be popped up when your dog leaves home. These are features provided by other leading GPS devices.
Since AirTags are not pet tracking devices, it does not track the health of your dog or cat as other leading brands can.
Pets can easily damage it during play because AirTags are not designed for pet tracking.

Alternative to AirTags to Track Your Pet

If you are looking for a better option than AirTags to protect your dog and quell your anxiety, then here we introduce you to one of the best GPS dog collar Fi SMART DOG COLLAR SERIES 2 which is by far the best in the market.

This second generation smart collar is designed with special features like; improved location tracking, faster escape alerts and a new sleep monitoring feature just costing $149

Give it a try and experience the best performance in tracking your dog.

Fi SMART DOG COLLAR SERIES 2

Conclusion 

Probably using an AirTag on your pet’s collar is totally fine and has no harm, but it is always advisable to equip your dog with a well known GPS pet tracker so you feel rest-assured. 

And you know AirTags has a completely different purpose while GPS pet trackers are solely designed to track your four-legged-friend. 

After all, AirTags merely work in a limited bluetooth range of other iOS devices and depend only on iphones. So AirTags are not the kind of devices which you can trust to find your lost pet.

FAQs 

Yes, the polished stainless steel side of AirTags scratches easily.

No, there are no pet-friendly accessories specifically designed for AirTag, but there are tag holders and protective cases available to attach it to a pet’s collar.

Airtags can work without WiFi.

AirTags do not use GPS for tracking, they use Bluetooth communication signals to discover items.

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Author
Stefano Giachetti
Stefano Giachetti is always excited to share his knowledge and love of animals with you through our blog, IPetGuides. And he has always loved animals and has been blessed to have many pets throughout his life. Currently has a Pomeranian Dog Breed.

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