Find my / Airtag "This item was seen near" - what does it mean?

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Level 1

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Find my / Airtag "This item was seen near" - what does it mean?

I am using "Notify When Found" button in "Find My" app to locate an Airtag. Very quickly I am getting notification "This item was seen near <address>". But when opening the item properties it says something like "Last seen 3 days ago".

Actually I know where the airtag is currently and it is not where device "last seen". It is in different location, somehere in a location without any bluetooth or any other devices nearby.

My question is why I am getting "This item was seen near" notification, but Airtag actually wasn't in contact with any bluetooth device for days?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

Posted on Nov 27, 2023 04:02 AM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

Level 10

157,236 points

Nov 27, 2023 08:48 AM in response to vtfx

In theory, the "last known" location will be available in the Find My for up to 24 hours when an AirTag is not "seen" on the Apple Find My Network by another Apple device.

Since the AirTag relies on a Bluetooth beacon that transmits its location information every 3-5 minutes, it may be "hit or miss" that another phone is in range during those transmissions.

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Answer 2

vtfx Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 28, 2023 07:02 AM in response to Tesserax

The airtag located way beyond of reach of blutooth to any bluetooth enabled phone - in the clear open field more than 150 meters away from anything. No way its transmittions would be sensed by any device.

Yet "Find my" on "Notify when found" button immediately gives "This item was seen near <address>" and turns off "Notify when found".

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Find my / Airtag "This item was seen near" - what does it mean?

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