AirTag

AirTag is a tracking device developed by Apple. AirTag is designed to act as a key finder, which helps people find personal objects such as keys, bags, apparel, small electronic devices and vehicles. To locate lost or stolen items, AirTags use Apple's crowdsourced Find My network, estimated in early 2021 to consist of approximately one billion devices worldwide that detect and anonymously report emitted Bluetooth signals. AirTags are compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch device capable of running iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later, including iPhone 6S or later (including iPhone SE 1, 2 and 3). Using the built-in U1 chip on iPhone 11 or later (except iPhone SE and iPhone 16e models), users can more precisely locate items using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. AirTag was announced on April 20, 2021, made available for pre-order on April 23, and released on April 30.

The product was rumored to be under development in April 2019. In February 2020, it was reported that Asahi Kasei was prepared to supply Apple with tens of millions of ultra-wideband (UWB) parts for the rumored AirTag in the second and third quarters of 2020, though the shipment was ultimately delayed. On April 2, 2020, a YouTube video on Apple Support page also confirmed AirTag. In Apple's iOS 14.0 release, code was discovered that described the reusable and removable battery that would be used in the AirTag. In March 2021, Macworld stated that iOS 14.5 beta's Find My user interface included "Items" and "Accessories" features meant for AirTag support for a user's "backpack, luggage, headphones" and other objects. AppleInsider noted that the beta included safety warnings for "unauthorized AirTags" persistently in a user's vicinity.

In May 2024, Bloomberg reported that Apple was preparing a new version of the AirTag, codenamed B589.

AirTags can be interacted with using the Find My app. Users may trigger the AirTag to play a sound from the app. iPhones equipped with the U1 or U2 chip can use "Precision Tracking" to provide direction to and precise distance from an AirTag. Precision Tracking utilizes ultra-wideband.

AirTags are not satellite navigation devices. AirTags are located on a map within the Find My app by utilizing Bluetooth signals from other anonymous iOS and iPadOS devices out in the world. To help prevent unwanted tracking, an iOS/iPadOS device will alert their owner if someone else's AirTag seems to be with them, instead of with the AirTag's owner, for too long. If an AirTag is out of range of any Apple device for a random duration between 8 and 24 hours, it will begin to beep to alert a person that an AirTag may have been placed in their possession.

Users can mark an AirTag as lost and provide a phone number and a message. Any iPhone user can see this phone number and message with the "Identify Found Item" feature within the Find My app, which utilizes near-field communication (NFC) technology. Additionally, devices with NFC capabilities can identify an AirTag with a tap, which will redirect to a website containing the message and phone number.

AirTag requires an Apple Account and iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later. It uses the CR2032 button cell battery, replaceable with one year of battery life (though some batteries with child-resistant bitterants cannot be used due to the design of the AirTag battery terminal). The maximum range of Bluetooth tracking is estimated to be around 30 meters. The water-resistance of an AirTag is rated IP67 water and dust; an AirTag can withstand 30 minutes of water immersion in standard laboratory conditions. Each Apple Account is limited to 32 AirTags.

Apple does not provide a way for users to force an AirTag to carry out a firmware update. Firmware updates may happen automatically whenever an AirTag is in Bluetooth range of the paired iPhone (running iOS 14.5 or later) and both devices have sufficient battery.