How Long Do AirTags Last (and Do They Need to Be Charged)?

In the era of Bluetooth trackers, keeping tabs on keys, wallets, and passports has never been easier. Among the various options, the Apple AirTag is a favored choice for iPhone and Apple product users.

This compact, lightweight tracking device efficiently tracks your crucial personal belongings. Yet, the AirTag’s battery, like others in the Bluetooth tracker realm, comes with its set of limitations, one of them being the somewhat short battery life.

Let’s learn about AirTag’s battery lifespan and how to replace it to continue using your Bluetooth tracker.

Do You Need to Charge Your AirTag?

AirTags don’t recharge. As you noticed, they don’t have a USB-C charging port and don’t come with a charge. So the short answer is no, you don’t need to charge AirTags. They operate on 3V CR2032 coin cell batteries, which are not rechargeable. It means that when the power dips, you can’t charge it up. You need to replace it with a new battery.

However, it’s essential to choose the right replacement. As Apple cautions, some CR2032 cells have a bitterant coating, which can affect their functionality based on how it aligns with the battery contacts.

Your iPhone will notify you when it’s time to swap your AirTag battery by sending you a notification. Alternatively, the Items tab in the Find My app will display a low battery warning. Check this tab frequently to ensure you’re always in the loop and aware of your AirTag battery life levels.

How Long Do AirTag Batteries Last?

Apple says an AirTag’s battery should endure “more than a year,” but this hinges on how intensively you use it. AirTags offer one main distinctive feature — you can use the Find My app to sound an alert on a lost item. You can keep playing this sound on the AirTag until you locate the item.

AirTags work within Apple’s Find My network, connecting to your iOS and macOS devices via Bluetooth. This means that as long as an AirTag is within Bluetooth range of an Apple device like iPhone, iPad, or Mac (even if the device isn’t yours), it passively communicates with this device to help you determine the location of your AirTag together with whatever gadget or item it’s attached to.

When AirTags are away from your iPhone and outside your designated safe zones, they emit this alert sound. The duration of time your AirTag has been playing this sound will take a toll on the AirTag’s battery level. If you’re worried about your AirTag’s battery running low, whether because it’s old or because you’ve used the alert function extensively, get a replacement battery and renew it.

Our tests showed that an Apple AirTag battery can last over 13 months before it needs charging. The AirTags tested were powered by the supplied Panasonic cell. By the way, the battery brand you choose can also affect your AirTags’ lifespan.

As a rule, if you frequently use sound alerts to locate items, you can expect to change AirTag batteries annually and less often if sound alerts aren’t your go-to method.

How to Check Your AirTag’s Battery Status?

When you suspect your AirTag battery power is running low, you can check the battery status using the Find My app. Before you do that, make sure you have the Find My app downloaded and updated to the latest version on your smartphone.

To check if your AirTag battery needs to be replaced, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Find My app on your device.
2. Select the Items tab.

3. Select the AirTag’s name whose battery you want to check.

4. A battery icon underneath the AirTag’s name will show the approximate charge it has left.

5. If the charge level is low, you’ll see a Low Battery warning under the name of your AirTag.

At the same time, when your AirTag battery is critically low, you’ll receive a notification from the Find My app asking you to replace the AirTag’s battery.

How to Change AirTag Batteries?

Changing the AirTag battery isn’t difficult, but you’ll need both hands. Before you start, take your AirTag out of any keyring holders or other mounts.

1. Unlock the Lid. With the Apple logo facing you, press down and twist the shiny stainless steel battery cover counter-clockwise until it stops rotating.
2. Open Up. Once unlocked, pop the metal lid off the AirTag to reveal the battery inside.
3. Replace the Battery. Remove the old battery and insert a new one with the positive side facing up.
4. Secure the Lid. Align the edges of the metal lid with the AirTag housing. Press down and rotate clockwise until the lid is securely in place.
5. Double-check everything. Ensure the lid is correctly sealed, preventing it from coming off inadvertently.

Remember to recycle the old battery properly to minimize environmental impact.

If you forget to change your AirTag batteries when you get the notification, the battery can die, and the AirTag can become unreachable. It means you won’t be able to find the item that you use with the AirTag (unless you manage to put it in Lost mode before this, in which case anyone who finds your AirTag can use their iPhone or NFC-enabled Android device to return the AirTag to you). Either way, pay attention to the Find My app notifications you receive.

For example, the app will notify you if an AirTag not registered to your Apple ID starts “following” you. Some phones also support a more advanced Precision Finding feature that helps to see any unknown AirTags that may be used for stalking or spying on you.

Apple AirTag Alternatives to Consider

Apple AirTags have pros and cons, the most significant advantage being the ease of use with Apple products. You can use AirTags with your AirPods case or your Apple Watch to ensure you don’t lose your expensive gadgets.

However, if you’re unhappy with your AirTag and are looking for an alternative with better battery life, check out the Chipolo One tracker. It also works with Android smartphones and is water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about using it in the rain.

Want to go even further and get a rechargeable tracking device? Then check out the Pebblebee Clip – this tracker also uses Find My network and can be recharged when the battery runs out. And it comes with a cut out hole and a cute keyring already, so you don’t have to spend extra money on a special holder.