An AirTag is a Bluetooth tag, not a GPS tracker. It has no GPS and no SIM, so it only shows where it is when a passing Apple device picks it up. That suits keys and bags. A car, motorbike or caravan needs a GPS tracker, which sends its own location over 4G and alerts you when it moves.
This guide sets the two side by side, with Apple’s Australian prices and Apple’s own words on its alerts. It covers when a tag is enough, what a thief’s phone does when one is in the car, and how to use both.
Contents
- Is an AirTag a GPS tracker?
- How does an AirTag find a car compared with a GPS tracker?
- When is an AirTag enough?
- Why does a vehicle need a GPS tracker?
- What does each cost in Australia?
- Can I use an AirTag and a GPS tracker together?
- What should I do if I find an AirTag I don’t own in my car?
Is an AirTag a GPS tracker?
No, an AirTag is not a GPS tracker. Apple’s AirTag page lists Bluetooth and an Ultra Wideband chip for finding it close by, but no GPS. When you are near it, your iPhone can point you to it.
When you are not, the tag leans on the Find My network. Apple says that network can use “more than a billion iPhone, iPad and Mac devices” (checked 15 October 2026). Any of them that passes near the tag can send you its spot, but the tag has no SIM and cannot send it by itself.
To set up the current AirTag (2nd generation), you need an Apple Account and an iPhone on iOS 26 or later, or an iPad on iPadOS 26 or later. A GPS tracker works the other way: it works out where it is from satellites and sends that over the mobile network. Ours uses 4G and does not rely on your phone, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
To see how satellites and 4G work together, read how a GPS tracker works. Our guide to the types of GPS trackers sets out the other kinds you can buy.
How does an AirTag find a car compared with a GPS tracker?
An AirTag waits for a passing Apple device to report it, while a GPS tracker reports itself. The table shows what that means for a car.
| AirTag | Solid GPS tracker | |
|---|---|---|
| How it gets a location | Its Bluetooth signal is picked up by Apple devices nearby on the Find My network | It works out its own position by GPS and sends it over 4G |
| How often it updates | Only when an Apple device passes close by | As often as every 2 minutes while driving, stepping back to 10 minutes on long trips, and every 24 hours when parked |
| Alert when the car moves | No. Separation alerts fire when you leave the tag behind | Yes. WatchDog Mode alerts you if the tracker moves |
| Battery | More than a year on a battery you replace (Apple) | Up to 12 months per charge (3, 6 or 12 months by model), and you recharge it |
| Setup | An iPhone on iOS 26 or later, or an iPad on iPadOS 26 or later | An app on iOS or Android, or a web browser |
| Ongoing cost | None | AUD $69.99 a year or NZD $79.99 a year, no contracts |
CarExpert put both kinds to the test in a story dated 29 March 2023. Paul Maric drove a 45 km loop from the Melbourne CBD with an AirTag, a Samsung SmartTag+, BMW ConnectedDrive and a Solid GPS tracker. At checkpoint 2, the AirTag still had the car “several kilometres behind” on the last freeway, as CarExpert’s tracker test reports.
The same test found the Solid GPS tracker updated “approximately every 10 minutes”. Our tracker updates as often as every 2 minutes while driving and steps back to 10 minutes on long trips, which matches what CarExpert saw on its 45 km drive. CarExpert still called the AirTag a “cost-effective and reliable” way to find the car in the city.
When is an AirTag enough?
An AirTag is enough for things you carry, such as keys, bags and luggage. If you turn on Apple’s separation alerts, your iPhone tells you when you leave one behind. You can also set Trusted Locations, such as home, where it stays quiet.
In a car, a tag can be a cheap backup. It works best where lots of people walk past with iPhones, like a busy city street or a shopping centre car park. CarExpert’s Melbourne test shows it can find a car there, though its updates can lag.
If you only want to know where you left the car, a tag does the job. If you want to know the moment it moves, a tag will not tell you.
Why does a vehicle need a GPS tracker?
A vehicle needs a GPS tracker because an AirTag cannot tell you it is being stolen. A separation alert fires when you walk away from the tag. Once you have left the car, nothing warns you when it starts to move.
The tag also warns the thief. Apple’s AirTag page says that if someone else’s AirTag is with you, “your iPhone or Android phone will notice it’s travelling with you and send you an alert.” On its unwanted tracking alerts page, Apple adds that a tag away from its owner for a while plays a sound when it is moved.
Out of town, a tag has another problem. Quiet roads and country areas have few passing phones to report it, so its last spot can be well out of date. A GPS tracker sends its own location over 4G, and WatchDog Mode alerts you if it moves.
That is how David Halperin got his Honda motorbike back after it was stolen on 23 July 2024. The thieves found his AirTag and threw it away, but they missed his Solid GPS tracker. “My motorbike was stolen on Tuesday, 8am, you and the police tracked it in real time,” he told us. “The bike was back in police hands within 3 hours, I had it back the next day.”
If your bike is taken, our guide to recovering a stolen motorcycle lists the steps. For a car, read how to find a stolen car.
A GPS tracker sends its own location over 4G, so it never waits for a passing iPhone. Updates as often as every 2 minutes while driving.
What does each cost in Australia?
An AirTag costs A$49, or A$165 for a 4 pack, with no subscription, at Apple’s Australian store (checked 15 October 2026). A Solid GPS tracker costs AUD $157 to $247 or NZD $169 to $269, plus AUD $69.99 or NZD $79.99 a year, with no contracts.
| What you buy | Up front | Each year |
|---|---|---|
| AirTag, 1 pack | A$49 | None |
| AirTag, 4 pack | A$165 | None |
| Solid GPS Standard tracker, battery up to 3 months | AUD $157 or NZD $169 | AUD $69.99 or NZD $79.99, no contracts |
| Solid GPS Large tracker, battery up to 6 months | AUD $197 or NZD $209 | AUD $69.99 or NZD $79.99, no contracts |
| Solid GPS MEGA tracker, battery up to 12 months | AUD $247 or NZD $269 | AUD $69.99 or NZD $79.99, no contracts |
The subscription pays for the 4G SIM, the data and the app. Each tracker comes with a 31-day free trial and a 12-month warranty, and our trackers are Australian Made. Check the latest tracker prices before you pick a model.
Can I use an AirTag and a GPS tracker together?
Yes, an AirTag can sit in the car as a backup to a GPS tracker. Treat the tag as the decoy a thief will likely find, not as the main tracker. A thief’s phone may warn them that it is there, and David’s thieves found his.
Keep the GPS tracker as the one you rely on. It is 4G GPS, not Bluetooth, so it does not set off the unknown tag alert that a thief’s phone shows for an AirTag. If they find and dump the tag, the tracker keeps sending its location.
A phone left in the car is another backup, though a thief can switch it off in seconds. Our guide to Find My Phone vs a GPS tracker compares the two.
What should I do if I find an AirTag I don’t own in my car?
Follow Apple’s steps first: play a sound to find it, read its serial number, then disable it. Apple sets them out on its unwanted tracking alerts page.
- Open the alert on your phone and tap Play Sound to find the tag.
- Hold the top of your iPhone, or an NFC phone, near the white side of the AirTag. A page opens with its serial number, so take a screenshot.
- Tap Instructions to Disable on that page and follow the steps to take out the battery.
Apple says to contact police if you feel your safety is at risk. The eSafety online safety checklist also says to “check for unknown Tiles, Airtags or other small objects”. If you feel unsafe right now, call police on Triple Zero (000), or call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, which warns that “location trackers can be placed on your vehicle”. Whether someone may track your car without asking depends on your state, which our guide to GPS tracking laws in Australia explains.
Sources
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| Apple: AirTag | Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband, the Find My network of more than a billion devices, battery life, iOS 26 setup, alerts on iPhone and Android |
| Apple Store Australia: AirTag | A$49 for 1 and A$165 for 4, checked 15 October 2026 |
| Apple Support: unwanted tracking alerts | The sound a tag plays when moved, the steps to find, identify and disable it, and contacting police (published 25 March 2026) |
| Apple Support: separation alerts | When separation alerts fire, and Trusted Locations |
| CarExpert: AirTag, SmartTag and GPS tracker test | The 45 km Melbourne test, 29 March 2023 |
| eSafety Commissioner: online safety checklist | Checking for unknown AirTags, and calling 000 if you feel unsafe (updated 2 October 2026) |
| 1800RESPECT: device safety | Trackers placed on vehicles, and the 1800 737 732 line |
