Bluetooth tracker in a car boot packed for Christmas

What does a car boot do to a Bluetooth signal?

It weakens it, and the amount depends on where the tag sits. Bluetooth Low Energy radio travels freely through air and glass and loses strength through metal, water and dense stacks of luggage. A car body is mostly steel, with openings at the windows. A tag at the rear window, behind a seat or near the boot lid shows a clean path out. A tag under a floor panel, near the spare wheel, has steel on most sides.

BlueTag is a Bluetooth tag with an IP67 rating, and the quoted range of up to 60 m is a line-of-sight figure. Inside a boot, expect much less. The honest answer is a test, not a number.

Where should the tag go in the boot?

High, near glass or the boot lid, and not against metal. Placements, from best to worst:

1. Inside a bag near the top of the pile, close to the rear window
2. Clipped inside a bag handle pocket on the side of the boot facing the cabin
3. In the parcel shelf area if the car has one
4. In a side compartment of the boot trim
5. Under the floor panel with the spare wheel, which is the worst

A bag full of tins or a cool box lined with foil is a further obstacle. Keep the tag away from both.

How do you test it before a long drive?

Pack as normal, walk away and watch the Find My app. The test takes two minutes:

1. Pack the boot and close it.
2. Put the tag's bag in the position you plan to use.
3. Walk 10 m, then 20 m, then 30 m down the road while you hold your iPhone.
4. At each stop, open Find My and use Play Sound on the tag.
5. Note where the ring is last heard and where the pin lags.

If the ring is faint at 10 m, move the tag higher and repeat. This gives you a real figure for your car, which is worth more than a spec sheet.

Will it report if the car is stolen or parked far away?

Only if an Apple device passes close enough, and the location is a sighting, not a live track. The tag has no SIM and no GPS. When a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac picks up its signal, the position goes to your Find My account, encrypted end to end. On a residential street or in a busy car park that happens often. On a country lane at night it may not happen for hours.

For that reason a tag is a help, not a guarantee. The pin is the last place a device saw it. Bluetooth only; no Ultra Wideband radio, so there is no arrow to follow once you get close, only the map and the sound. It works with an iPhone on iOS 14.5 or later and not with Android.

What about the sound in a full boot?

Luggage muffles it. The speaker is rated at 80 to 100 dB, which is loud in an open room, but a tag under a coat in a closed boot sounds like a faint chirp. Play Sound several times, and listen at the boot lid with the car quiet.

How does BlueTag help with a packed boot?

It gives you a map pin and a ring for the bag that matters most. BlueTag is a Find My compatible tag, MFi certified, sold as a box of two. One tag goes in the bag with the presents and the other with the keys or the dog's travel bag. Power comes from a 3 V CR2032 that you can replace yourself and that lasts up to two years.

It will not replace a lock, an alarm or a tracker with a SIM, and it is honest about that. Find out more on the BlueTag page, where a box of two costs under £15.

Frequently asked

Does a Bluetooth tracker work in a car boot?

Yes, with reduced range. The steel body and luggage absorb part of the signal, so a tag high in the boot near the rear window performs better than one under the floor.

How far does a Bluetooth tracker work from inside a car?

The open-air figure is up to 60 m, and from a boot it is lower. Test it by walking away with your iPhone and ringing the tag at set distances.

Can a Bluetooth tag track a stolen car?

It can show a sighting if an Apple device passes near it, but it is not a live GPS tracker. If a car is stolen, report it to the police first and give them the location only as a sighting.

Where is the best place to hide a tag in a boot?

Inside a bag near the top of the load and close to glass, rather than under the floor panel or against the metal wheel arch.