5 Best Places to Hide an AirTag in the Car

Car owners rapidly discovered the benefits of planting an AirTag in the cabin (unfortunately, some did this the hard way after their vehicles got stolen), especially as the device can broadcast its location from almost any location on the planet.

The same small form factor makes it almost undetectable to a thief while allowing the owner to find the vehicle's location nearly in real-time.

On the other hand, finding the right spot for an AirTag in the cabin is much harder than you'd think, especially because you want the device to be well hidden so the robber doesn't see it. Anyone with physical access to the AirTag can disable it by removing the battery or simply throwing it out the window.

How AirTags work

Before telling you the best places to hide an AirTag in the car, it's important to understand how the device works. The AirTag is not a traditional GPS tracker but a device that connects to Apple's Find My network to broadcast its location.

It uses a replaceable CR2032 battery (so it's not rechargeable) that should last for approximately six months per unit. It doesn’t have built-in Internet access, so it connects to nearby iPhones to access the Find My network and send its location to the master device.

An AirTag can connect to any iPhone in its proximity, including the thief's (if they have an Apple smartphone). At the same time, it can also alert the criminal that a tracker is moving with them – this is anti-stalking protection, allowing the person getting tracked to know that an AirTag is moving with them; the user can also make the AirTag generate an audio alert to reveal its location.

As a result, it's critical to find the right spot to hide an AirTag. The thief might receive a warning that an AirTag is in the cabin, so the harder it is to find, the bigger the chances for the device to help you recover the car.

Police say you must report the theft the second you notice the car missing. Thieves don't have the time to stop the car and search for trackers, so if you send the police on their tail right away, the AirTag can continue to provide critical information on your vehicle's location.

The lazy option: in the glove box

If you don't want to spend too much time finding the right spot for the AirTag, you can just put it in the glove box.

It's also where the thief is likely to search for the tracker, so I wouldn’t recommend this hiding spot unless you have plenty of other stuff in there, making a search more difficult.

Additionally, if your car comes with an air cabin filter that can be reached from the glove box, you can try hiding the AirTag in there, maybe right behind the air filter. This way, the thief will know it's there, but removing all the parts to pull the AirTag requires time, and a criminal trying to escape unnoticed doesn't have it.

The cumbersome option: in the trunk

People carry all kinds of things in the trunk, so hiding an AirTag there would make the device very difficult to spot.

Car trunks come with plenty of hiding spots, so you can try to attach an AirTag holder to a magnetic accessory to plant it behind the emergency kit.

However, pay attention to where you install the AirTag. The more metal you put on the AirTag, the lower the signal, so the device could eventually struggle to connect to nearby iPhones to broadcast its location.

The tech-savvy option: in the console

This is one of my favorite options. Hiding the AirTag directly in the console makes it nearly impossible for a thief to find the device, at least not without having the right tools to pry open the dashboard.

Many cars come with removable consoles, so if you don't mind pulling out some plastic parts, you can find a really good spot for hiding the AirTag.

The thief could eventually determine the AirTag's location if the device generates an audio alert, but remember that criminals are typically on the road, so they can afford to lose much time to remove the console and look for the tracker. Furthermore, they can't damage the dashboard either, as their goal is to eventually make money by reselling the stolen car.

The straightforward option: in the seat lining

Planting the AirTag into the seat lining is easy and convenient, but the same things could allow a thief to locate and remove it.

If you don't mind digging into the cushions to make the AirTag undetectable, this is a great spot, as the thief would have a hard time finding and disabling the device.

I wouldn't go for this idea if the car came with premium leather seats, though, because you can easily damage the memory foam and eventually make it harder to find the AirTag when it's time to change the battery.

The best option: in the engine bay

At the end of the day, the engine bay remains the best place to hide an AirTag in the car. There's so much stuff in there that it's nearly impossible for a thief to find the AirTag, even if it beeps to reveal its location.

You can hide it virtually anywhere, including in the filter enclosure or below the radiator. There are plenty of spots, so pick one, put the AirTag in a case, and forget it's there.

A thief can't afford to pull over, open the hood, and search for an AirTag with the police on their tail. Furthermore, when they receive an alert, they'll probably think the tracker is planted in the cabin, so they'll lose more time figuring out the device hiding in the engine bay.