How To Increase The Lifespan Of Your Apple AirTags – BGR

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Apple’s item tracker, the AirTag, lasts for about a year, according to the company. Unlike other Apple products — which use ion-lithium batteries that can only be repaired by a professional, or which need to be tossed when the battery dies such as the AirPods — AirTag’s use a CR2032 lithium 3V coin-shaped battery.

This means that once the battery life on the AirTag drops to zero, you can just buy a new one at a local store or on Amazon for as little as $4 and you’ll have a fully operating AirTag once again. So while the AirTag itself can be a bit pricey at $29, and with official accessories also costing as much as a new model, you’re much more likely to have these Apple devices for a long time compared to other products the company puts out. Knowing this, it’s wise to learn how to increase the lifespan of your AirTags with battery maintenance.

Apple doesn’t make it easy to tell how long does an AirTag’s battery life will last. As a matter of fact, you’ll only receive notifications when the battery levels of the item tracker get low or hit critical levels and only then by making a casual chime. To find out whether your AirTag is at risk of dying, open the Find My app on your phone, tap the item’s tab and check each item tracker you have individually.

If you can see a battery indicator, this means your battery life is low and you might need to do a replacement with new CR2032 battery. If you can’t see the indicator, it means you still have enough juice to use the item tracker’s full capabilities. That said, it’s unclear whether you have another day of battery life, a week, or a few months.

I own several AirTags, and since their release in 2021, I have had to change the battery inside each a few times. In my experience, you can continue using your AirTag for a few weeks after receiving a low-level battery warning. But, if you misplace the item it’s tracking, it might get trickier to find. Apple says some of the AirTag’s functions become unavailable when your batter gets low. While the company doesn’t specify which functions are at risk, we know the AirTag only functions to track items, so it’s safe to assume these capabilities become less reliable.

After years of using the AirTag, I’ve realized that the more you use your item tracker, the more the battery drains. If you’re constantly beeping the AirTag to locate it, using Precision Find on your iPhone to find your keychain inside your house, or sharing it with someone else doing the same thing, the battery in your AirTag could tank in less than a year.

From personal experience, and through learning from other users over the years, I know it’s also important to use good CR2032 lithium batteries from trusted brands such as Duracell, Energizer, and Panasonic. Even store brand options get the job done, but knock-off batteries might not work as expected or have a shorter lifespan.

Since Apple still doesn’t show how much battery you have left on your AirTag, the best way to increase the lifespan is to use its capabilities only when needed and avoid playing around with the features. In addition, whenever you have the low battery notification, don’t wait too long to replace it, otherwise you’ll be out of luck when you need this item tracker the most.