If you’re looking to keep track of your children without giving them a smartphone or smartwatch, you might consider an AirTag—especially if it fits discreetly into their shoe. This is the concept behind Skechers’ new kids’ sneaker line called Find My Skechers. These shoes look like any other children’s sneakers but include a hidden AirTag compartment under the insert. You simply lift the insert, remove a plastic cover, place an AirTag inside, and replace the insert. Then, you can send your child off, knowing you can monitor their location.
However, AirTags are not designed for live tracking. While they can provide a general idea of where items are, they aren’t ideal for continuous, real-time updates, making them unreliable for tracking kids. AirTags do not function as homing beacons and do not update locations constantly. They lack GPS and cannot connect to the internet independently. Instead, they rely on other Apple devices within Bluetooth range on the Find My network to update their position. This system is passive and anonymous, allowing devices to refresh AirTag locations without user knowledge.
The functioning of AirTags explains why they aren’t dependable for live tracking. Without a Find My device nearby, an AirTag cannot update its location. If your child is not near someone with such a device, you won’t know their current location, just the last one recorded. Even when within range, location updates can be sporadic, with delays lasting 15 to 20 minutes, or sometimes not updating at all.
For constant location tracking, you’ll need a GPS device. Putting an AirTag in the Skechers sneakers won’t harm, and it can show your child’s last known approximate location when they were near a Find My device. However, for consistent monitoring, you’ll need a GPS-enabled device like a smartphone, smartwatch, or dedicated GPS tracker, although the latter often requires a subscription.