Airtag only works if my iphone is with it!

Mine too! I have tried resetting and reconnecting. No luck. I have my AirTag to my son (who has an iPhone) when he went for a drive. AirTag would not update location until he gave it back to me. Have also tried with my daughter driving away. Therefore I don’t see how this will help tracking luggage or items (the reason I purchased it)

does anyone know what I can do?

AirTags sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it on a map. The devices that send the location of your AirTag to iCloud do not need to belong to you.

If you place an AirTag in a location where there are no devices connected to the Find My network nearby, the location of your AirTag will not update in the Find My app.

The AirTag must be within 30ft of any Apple device, but that device also must have must have Bluetooth and Location Services activated for the AirTag to be visible on your Find My map.

Sorry if you already figured this out!

I am confused whether or I need to physically attach my air tag to my iPhone.

I got mine to put on my cat as she goes around the property, but it only shows when she’s home or the last time she was seen home because we live in the middle of nowhere so there’s never any iPhones around, only mine. But it still helps when I’m looking for her in the woods (my property is woods), I can walk around and it will tell me if I’m close (she has selective hearing so I can never find her). So not the best but still kind of works.

My key hold in air tag I listen