How to Check Replace Your Apple AirTag Battery: Step-by-Step
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema.
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Apple AirTags have a battery life of about a year. If you’ve had your AirTag active for this long, you may need to replace your battery. Unlike other Apple products, it’s easy to replace the battery in AirTags yourself—you’ll just need a CR2032 lithium coin battery, which you can find at any store that sells batteries. Just pop off the steel cover and insert the new coin battery. This wikiHow guide will show you how to change the old battery in your Apple AirTags to a new one.
- You can easily check your AirTag’s battery percentage in the Find My app.
- Purchase a new CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery. Press down on the steel cover, then rotate counterclockwise to remove it.
- Place the new battery in, positive-side up. Align the cap to the AirPod slots, then twist clockwise to lock it.
Replacing the Battery
- Instead of using a battery from a different device, it’s best to buy a brand new battery for your AirTag. [1] X Research source
- Avoid buying a coin battery with bitterant coatings. This could affect the way the battery aligns with the battery contacts.
Press down on the steel cover of your AirTag. This is the cover with the Apple logo. It should depress slightly as you press.
Insert the new coin battery. Make sure the positive side faces up. You’ll hear a sound when it connects properly.
- AirTags are a great way to keep track of items such as luggage on flights or smaller accessories such as Airpods.
Checking the Battery Level
- You should automatically receive a push notification if your AirTag battery is running low. Use this method if you want to manually check the battery level.
- The AirTag information will open.
- If the charge is low, you’ll see Low Battery underneath the AirTag name.
- If you don’t see the battery, the AirTag has substantial charge remaining.
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Is the Battery in an AirTag Rechargeable?
If you’re considering purchasing an AirTag, you may be wondering if the battery is rechargeable. The answer is no, the battery in an AirTag is not rechargeable. However, it does have a long battery life of up to one year, depending on usage.
So, how do you replace the battery? It’s quite simple – just twist the back cover off the AirTag, remove the old battery, and insert a new one. Apple recommends using a CR2032 coin cell battery, which is widely available at most electronics stores.
How Can You Check the Charging of AirTag Battery?
Here’s how to check your AirTag’s battery’s charge:
- Launch Find My.
- Click the Items tab.
- Tap the AirTag’s name.
- Under the AirTag’s name, check the battery icon level next.
Do AirTags Have Batteries That Can Be Changed?
As mentioned in the previous answer, AirTags do indeed have batteries that can be changed. This is a great feature, as it allows you to keep using your AirTag without having to purchase a whole new device once the battery runs out.
To change the battery, simply twist the back cover off the AirTag, remove the old battery, and insert a new one. It’s a quick and easy process that can be done in just a few seconds. Keep in mind that it’s important to use a CR2032 coin cell battery, as recommended by Apple.
What Types of Batteries Are Compatible with Apple’s AirTag?
Remember we previously mentioned that not all batteries are compatible with your AirTag, and putting the wrong battery can even cause you to damage your device.
Ideally, you are to replace your AirTag batteries with just the standard CR2023 lithium cell batteries. However, this battery is of two types; one with a bitterant and one without.
The CR2023 coin cell battery that comes with a bitterant was designed that way, so kids get discouraged from putting it into their mouth; after all, no child loves a bitter lollipop. But unfortunately, the bitter coating affects the conductivity of the cell, making it difficult to make good contact with the AirTag, and this can affect its efficiency.
So, to avoid having to deal with that, it’s best to buy CR2023 lithium coin batteries without coating, or you can remove the bitterant manually if you know how to.
How to Replace Your Airtag Battery Like a Pro
AirTag batteries can be easily removed and replaced at a low cost when you know what you are doing. You don’t need to pay a technician to fix your battery, and neither do you need special tools or skills. Everything you’ll need can be found in a local store that sells batteries.
However, if after going through our guide you are still confused, then it’s best to go to a licensed Apple store and get it replaced.
Here’s a detailed guide on how to replace your AirTag battery when it’s expired or about to;
- Put the AirTag on a flat surface, and make sure it’s facing down.
- The back of your AirTag has a metal removable cover, press it down and roll it in an anticlockwise direction. This will cause the metal back to open up; remove it and keep it close.
- The battery should be exposed to you now, remove it as well.
- Place the new AirTag battery inside, and make sure the positive side is positioned upward. Ideally, you’ll hear a noise that indicates you have successfully fixed it, if you don’t make hear a noise, check to see if the battery you placed is the correct one.
- Put back the metal cover, and be careful to align the three tabs on the cover with the three slots on the AirTag.
- To close it, you’ll have to rotate the cover in a clockwise direction until it snaps into place.
Remember, if you do not hear a noise that shows you have successfully changed the battery, then it means you haven’t done it properly.
Quick tip; be sure to get the right batteries, and make sure you position the new battery correctly.
Once you have taken out the old batteries and replaced them with new ones, you’ll need to reconnect the AirTag again to your iPhone. This is simple, as you’ll just have to follow the prompts that appear on your phone.
Conclusion
Apple AirTag is a necessity if you are always looking for your items, or if you have an expensive item you don’t want to lose track of. The beauty of it is that regardless of where your lost item is, it can always be tracked, whether it’s within your Bluetooth reach or not.
AirTag batteries cannot be charged, so when it gets discharged, you’ll need to replace them, however, the replacement won’t cost you a fortune. With a few bucks, you’ll have your AirTag up and running.
There’s no other special procedure that any technician will follow aside from what we have explained above; so, take out your time and follow our instructions, and you’ll have an easy time replacing your battery.
Why Will CR 2032 Batteries With Bitter Coatings Not Work With AirTags?
The reason why these button cells do not work with AirTags isn’t because of the bitter coating. In fact, it’s because of an oddly placed negative connector inside the AirTag casing. Instead of being in the center of the casing where it can have better contact with the button battery, it’s placed closer to the top. Since the bitter coating can prevent good electrical contact, it’s much more difficult to line the battery up correctly and keep it running inside the AirTag.
We’re pretty sure that this design choice was made by Apple in order to make the interior of the AirTag look more consistent with Apple’s brand image. That is to say, to make it look a bit more ‘cute’. However, this choice seems to have come at the cost of functionality. Because of this, it’s clear that Apple did not test a wide enough variety of CR 2032 batteries from different brands. If they had done better testing, they would have been able to change the design or at least add a disclaimer about the types of batteries that would be compatible with AirTags.
We were able to get the battery to work better by scraping off the bitter taste coating off with a knife. However, we absolutely do not recommend that you try this at home. Damaging a battery can be a fire hazard and could also damage your AirTag. We recommend you get more compatible CR 2032 batteries instead.
Which Batteries Should You Get?
We recommend these CR 2032 batteries from Amazon instead. However, it’s critical to remember that since these batteries do not have a bitter tasting coating it’s even more important to practice good supervision and safety with your children. Do not allow them to play with or swallow these button cells, as it can prove to be a serious risk to their health.
Now that you know the right kinds of batteries to get for your AirTags, you can make sure that your AirTags more reliably keep track of your valuables. Have you had any other trouble with AirTags? Let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below!
Swapping Out Batteries Is Easy, For a Change
Your AirTag uses a common CR2032 battery, also known as a coin battery. It’s actually easy to change on the accessory, a very unusual characteristic for Apple. Here’s what you need to do.
- Flip your AirTag over so the polished stainless steel battery cover is facing you.
- Press down on the battery cover of the AirTag and rotate it counterclockwise until it stops rotating.
- Remove the cover and the battery.
- Insert a new CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery, which you can purchase from most electronic and drug stores. Make sure the positive side, which is flat and has a “” symbol on it, is facing up. You’ll hear a sound indicating it’s connected properly.
- Replace the cover, aligning the three tabs of the cover with the slots on the AirTag.
- Rotate the cover clockwise until it stops.
Now, here’s the “gotcha.” Some of these CR2032 have a coating on them that interferes with their usability.
Bitterant Coating Affects Battery Conductivity
Apple offers the following disclaimer about some batteries that you might try to use in your AirTags.
CR2032 batteries with bitterant coatings might not work with AirTag or other battery-powered products, depending on the alignment of the coating in relation to the battery contacts.
A bitterant coating is placed on the battery for safety around small children. These coin batteries represent a choking hazard, some many companies warn consumers to keep them away from small children. Some go so far as to coat the batteries with an agent that tastes horrible, so the tykes will spit them out instead of swallowing them.
While this is definitely a great idea, it does interfere with the battery’s electrical connection. Garmin goes so far as to warn consumers not to use Duracell batteries in its devices for this exact reason.
If you hold your battery up to the light, you can actually see the edges of the coating. The product labeling should also advise you it’s got the bitter coating on the battery. Your best bet is to buy a different brand, but there’s a trick you can use if you don’t want to go through that much trouble.
The Coating Is Easily Removable With Sandpaper
Our good friend John F. Braun has been going through the whole battery replacement process with his AirTags. While Braun thinks Apple should redesign the power contacts on the accessory, he did find a way to remove the bitter coating.
He first confirmed, using his multimeter, that the battery had proper voltage. Next, he took a sheet of sandpaper to the battery to remove the coating. “For me,” he said, “using some sandpaper on the battery did the trick.”
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