How to use a Apple's $29 AirTag device to track your luggage

 

The silver part of the AirTag is a cap that unscrews to reveal the battery. 

• Airlines have been losing travelers' luggage en masse this summer.
• Apple's AirTag can help expedite the return of your lost bags or at least ease your concerns about its location.
• Setting up the small $29 device only takes a minute — here's how to do it.

Traveling in 2022 has shaped up to be a bit of a nightmare.

NA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

Airlines have canceled or delayed flights en masse …

Copenhagen Airport. 

… long security lines have caused some travelers to miss their flights …

People wait in long queues for security at Heathrow Airport on June 1.

… and lost bag claims have climbed 30% as missing luggage horror stories have made their rounds on the internet.

Mark Wayt, who landed at Heathrow on Saturday, said every luggage carousel had hundreds of bags lined up

Unfortunately, it's impossible to control the status of your flight or security wait times.

Travelers crowd Terminal 1 departures hall while queueing at check-in counters in Humberto Delgado International Airport on July 09, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

But if your biggest fear is losing your bags while on vacation, there's a small $29 hack that could provide you with some much-needed sense of security: Apple's AirTags.

The silver part of the AirTag is a cap that unscrews to reveal the battery. 

Both airline employees and frequent travelers have recommended using the small Apple device to keep track of checked luggage while flying.

Brittany Chang/Insider

In late July, I tried this highly touted advice during a three-day work trip where I traveled across three states on a flight, two long bus rides, and several Lyft rides.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And although I never misplaced my luggage, the sense of security I got from my AirTag has convinced me I'll never travel without one in my baggage again.

Brittany Chang/Insider

Using an AirTag will probably be the easiest travel "hack" you'll ever need.

The tiny device is easy to acquire. It can be ordered online and either picked up the same day at an Apple store or shipped to your home.

When you finally acquire one, It'll take more time to unbox the AirTag than to actually set it up.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And if you're impatient, you'll be glad to hear there's no learning curve needed to use the Apple AirTag.

Brittany Chang/Insider

All you have to do is hold it near your iPhone to pair the devices …

Brittany Chang/Insider

… select the name of your AirTag (in this case "luggage") …

Brittany Chang/Insider

… pop it in your bag and you're good to go.

Brittany Chang/Insider

You can then track its location through the Find My app.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And there's no need to worry about recharging the battery: The AirTag is designed to last at least a year.

Brittany Chang/Inside

The coin-sized device won't prevent an airline from losing your bags but at least you'll always have a live view of its location.

Brittany Chang/Insider

And in some instances, this up-to-date tracking has helped expedite the return of lost bags, according to anecdotal stories floating around the internet.

Unclaimed luggage piles up at London Heathrow Airport on July 8, 2022. 

Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images

If you have $30 to spare and endless worry about losing your luggage, the Apple AirTag may be your best bet.

Artur Debat/Getty Images

And in an age of chaotic and stressful travel, I'm sure we'd all be happy to take even the smallest opportunity to relieve our lost luggage anxieties.

Luggage are piling up at Heathrow's Terminal 5. 

Adam Kent