How to Remove and Replace Your AirTag’s Battery

Look, you’re probably present due to the fact that you precocious received an iPhone notification that the artillery for your AirTag is moving low. Or, possibly you purchased a refurbished mentation of Apple’s tracking instrumentality and privation to marque definite it has plentifulness of foodstuff to past for a while. Either way, I’m present to guarantee you that replacing an AirTag battery is simple. The full process should instrumentality lone a mates of minutes.

How often bash you request to regenerate it? After activating a brand-new AirTag, you tin expect to regenerate that archetypal artillery successful astir a year. The timing of consequent replacements truly depends connected the prime of the batteries you purchase, arsenic good arsenic however overmuch you usage the tracker. Unlike the iPhone oregon Apple Watch, the artillery successful an AirTag is not rechargeable and needs to beryllium swapped retired erstwhile it dies.

Thankfully, you don’t person to bargain immoderate peculiar artillery from Apple. Most lithium CR2032 coin batteries volition enactment conscionable fine. These are the aforesaid 3-volt batteries that commonly slot into wristwatches, room thermometers, and different tiny electronics. A four-pack of the batteries costs astir $6 connected Amazon.

Just cognize that immoderate of these CR2032 batteries person been treated with a bitter coating to discourage children from swallowing them. Not each of those bitter-tasting batteries volition enactment with AirTags, truthful if yours has this coating, marque definite to double-check the packaging to spot if it’s compatible. The coated batteries that bash enactment volition intelligibly accidental “Compatible With Apple AirTag” connected the package.

Swap It Out

Now that you person a caller artillery for your AirTag, removing the aged artillery and adding successful the caller 1 is simple. Follow these steps:

1. Flip the AirTag truthful the metallic broadside with the Apple logo is facing you.
2. Use your fingertips to property down and rotate the metallic portion astir a 4th crook counterclockwise. The metallic lid should disconnect and loosen.
3. Remove the metallic piece, and present you should beryllium capable to popular retired the aged battery.
4. Place the caller CR2032 artillery successful the bare slot, with the “+” motion facing you.
5. Put the metallic portion backmost connected top, property down, and rotate it clockwise until the screen locks into place.
6. Done. But don't propulsion that aged artillery successful the trash. Recycle it either through Apple oregon a reputable e-waste service.

Would you alternatively person a rechargeable tracker connected your keyring oregon attached to your pet? While the AirTag is WIRED’s recommended tracker for iOS devices, the Pebblebee mightiness beryllium worthy checking retired for a tracker wherever you tin usage a USB-C cord to complaint it and debar changing those pesky small artillery cells.