Pros & Cons
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- Quick and accurate location
- Deep Apple ecosystem integration
- Louder speaker
- Findable from afar
- Replaceable battery
- Water-resistant
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- Doesn't work with Android
- Can't be used to find phone
- Can't attach it to anything without accessories
The second-generation AirTag ($29 for one, $99 for four) encapsulates just the right mix of improvements to make it worth upgrading. A new Ultra Wideband chip lets you locate items farther away using Precision Finding, the speaker is louder, making it easier to hear, and you can now get turn-by-turn directions on your wrist with newer versions of the Apple Watch. There's simply no better Bluetooth tracker for iPhone users, and it is our Editors' Choice.
Design: I Wish Apple Had Made One Change
The new AirTag is identical to the original in design and price. It's the same coin-sized puck with a white front and a chrome back, and Apple is asking the same $29. The AirTag's size and shape mean it slips into bags, purses, briefcases, coat pockets, and just about anything else without you even knowing it's there. It fits in a wallet, but not comfortably (at least if you stow your wallet in your back pocket). It measures 1.26 inches across, 0.31 inches thick, and weighs 0.41 ounces. It's smaller than the more square-shaped Tile Mate ($24.99), which measures 1.5 by 1.5 by 0.25 inches (HWD) and weighs 0.32 ounces. It's also smaller than the pill-shaped Samsung SmartTag 2 ($29.99), which measures 2.0 by 1.13 by 0.25 inches and weighs 0.49 ounces.
What's great about the carryover design is that the AirTag is compatible with all the accessories you may already have, such as Apple's FineWoven Key Ring ($35). What's not so great is that the AirTag doesn't have a hook, loop, or lanyard for attaching it to anything without said accessories. In other words, you more or less have to buy a keyring holder if you want to attach an AirTag to your keys or anything else. Part of me hoped Apple would adjust this. Luckily, plenty of accessories are available from Amazon for less than $5. The Tile Mate and SmartTag 2 both have built-in holes for attaching directly to your keyring.
The AirTag isn't rugged per se, but it does feel durable. It won't break if you drop it, even onto concrete. It meets the IP67 rating, which means it is dustproof and mostly water-resistant. It can slip into the pool, and you won't have to worry about it, but don't let it sit there too long. The SmartTag 2 has the same IP67 rating, but the Tile Mate has a slightly better IP68 rating, which means it can sit in deeper water for longer. If you're worried about the chrome side getting scratched up, don't. I've had an original AirTag since it was first released, and it still doesn't have a mark on it. Like many Apple products, you can choose to have it engraved when you order from Apple's website.
Although the AirTag is water-resistant, you can take it apart to replace the battery. It takes a standard CR2032 coin battery, which you can buy at many stores. Apple says the battery will last about one year with daily use of the speaker and Precision Finding. In my experience with the original AirTag, the battery lasts much longer than one year.
Set Up: It's Dead Simple
Take the AirTag out of its case, unwrap it, and pull out the battery tab to activate it. As long as your iPhone is nearby, the two instantly talk to one another and pair. That's it. You're ready to go. This is the same experience as the original AirTag.
Once paired, your AirTag lives in the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad. It's listed under the Items tab, which shows you the things you've tagged with an AirTag. You can give your tag a name and an emoticon to make your items easier to sort visually in the app. The new tag requires iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and watchOS 26.2.1 and newer. AirTags are not compatible with Android phones; the Tile Mate works with Android and iOS, while the SmartTag 2 works only with Android.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)The AirTag functions in two ways. The first is a direct connection with your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch when you are in close proximity. The AirTag has a new Bluetooth radio and Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip to help. These are what power the Precision Finding tool, which provides you with arrow-based, turn-by-turn directions to your item. Apple doesn't provide a range, but says Precision Finding works from "1.5x farther away" than the original AirTag. In testing, I was able to maintain a direct connection with the second-generation AirTag from every room in my house (~2,000 square feet), even at distances up to 50 feet. That's with the AirTag in my attic and me standing in my basement three stories below. I needed to be much closer, about 25 feet and within one floor, to maintain a direct connection with the first-generation AirTag.
(Credti: Eric Zeman)What's new is that Precision Finding works from your Apple Watch. You can call up the Find My app, see a list of your items, and get directions to a lost AirTag. Alternatively, you can add a tag to your watch's Control Center. When you initiate Precision Finding, it defaults to car-based navigation from your wrist, but a toggle lets you choose walking, bicycling, or transit directions instead. This feature requires the Apple Watch Series 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer. I found I needed to be about 35 feet from the AirTag for precision finding to work from the watch. You can find the original AirTag with your Apple Watch, but you can't get the same precise directions to it.
You can also ping your AirTag to make it emit a sound. You can do this from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac; the button is right next to the one for Precision Finding. Apple says it redesigned the speaker, which is now 50% louder and emits a new, higher-pitched chime. It's not dramatically louder than the original AirTag, but it's definitely more audible at a greater distance. I found it easier to hear throughout my quiet home, and in the same room with a TV on.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)When you're not close to your lost item, the AirTag doesn't connect to your phone via Bluetooth and doesn't use GPS. Instead, it relies on Apple's Find My network, which is essentially every iPhone, iPad, and Mac out there on planet Earth. If a stranger's iPhone passes by an AirTag, it makes a note of the tag's location and shares that with you. The owner of that iPhone does not see the AirTag and cannot access its location; they won't even know they passed by someone's AirTag. Apple says this connection is encrypted and secure. Even Apple doesn't know the location of your AirTag. This is how you learn that you left your keys at work, or at your parents' house, or on the bus, or literally anywhere else.
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(Credit: Eric Zeman)The one flaw here is that the location is only as accurate as the last iPhone to pass by the AirTag. If your AirTag is in a place that's full of iPhones, you'll always be able to see it. If it's at the top of a mountain you climbed, you'll only be able to see its last-known location (the last time an iPhone connected to it). You won't know if a chipmunk later picked it up and wandered halfway down the mountain with it until another iPhone comes within range. AirTags are great for densely populated areas, but can get well and truly lost in areas with no people or iPhones. The Tile Mate and Samsung SmartTag 2 work similarly for close (Bluetooth) and far (other phones) location tracking, as does the original AirTag.
If the AirTag is still missing anything, it's the ability to press a button on it to make your iPhone ring. The Tile Mate and SmartTag 2 both offer that functionality.
Performance: Louder and More Accurate
The improvements are real. You can find the tag precisely from farther away. It is louder and easier to hear. You can find it precisely with your Apple Watch.
To test the new AirTag, I took it and an original AirTag to a park down the street from my house and walked home. With no iPhones near them, they showed the last known location (from when I was standing next to them). Find My easily pinpointed them. The app guided me down the street on foot based on the last-known location. When I was about 60 feet away, the new AirTag connected to my phone and became available for Precision Finding. The app gave me turn-by-turn directions to get to it. When I purposefully walked in the wrong direction, the arrow switched instantly to point me the right way. My phone didn't connect to the original AirTag until it was about 45 feet away.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)I played the chime on both. There's no question that the new chime is more audible than the old one. The higher pitch stands out more. I was able to hear it easily despite passing traffic and the trickling water of a nearby river.
For Precision Finding from my Watch, I moved the tags to a new spot in the park and walked home again. This time, I left my iPhone at home and repeated the trek to seek them out. My Apple Watch doesn't have a cellular connection, but it was still able to put the tags on the map using Find My while at home. Once I walked outside, the directions still worked even without a connection. The watch connected directly to the second-generation tag once I was about 40 feet away, and the first-generation tag when I was about 25 feet away. Once connected, the watch provided precise directions, complete with arrows and distances.
Safety: It's for Tracking Things, Not People
Apple clearly states that the AirTag is meant to help you find lost items, not keep tabs on your family, friends, or pets. The company has built a number of safety and anti-stalking features into the AirTag that help.
As long as your iPhone is running iOS 14.5 or later, you should receive an alert if an unknown AirTag is nearby or moving with you. This is for an AirTag that is not paired with your phone. Android phone users should also receive the same alert. Android users can also actively scan for AirTags using a third-party app. Apple has a dedicated support page that tells you what to do if you find an AirTag that's not yours. (To turn it off and stop it from tracking you, open it up and pull the battery.)
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)In testing, it often takes 5 to 15 minutes before you receive an alert about an unknown AirTag moving with you (such as in your car). That's more than enough time for some people to drive home from a school or local store. The tag beeps, but only once. Despite the new speaker, it's still hard to hear an AirTag beep in your trunk, especially when the car is moving. The Find My app will show you its location on a map. If it's been with you for a while, you'll see a dashed red line that indicates where it has traveled with you. You can also use the app to locate the nearby AirTag. Once you find it, tap it to the top of your phone, and it will call up a website that displays the tag's serial number. If it's lost, the owner may have put it in Lost Mode, which can include a message, such as the owner's phone number. You can do this too, with your own AirTag.
Interestingly, you can share an AirTag with others. Using the Find My app, you can share items with up to five other people. Apple suggests this could be helpful when the item is one that everyone in a family or household uses, such as car keys. You can also choose to Share Item Location on a temporary basis with others, such as law enforcement or other officials. For example, you can share a tag's location with 50 airlines worldwide to help locate lost luggage or other items at an airport. You can cease sharing the item at any time. If you forget to stop sharing, access will expire automatically after 7 days.