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How to replace your AirTag battery
As popular as AirTags are, they’re pretty much the only modern Apple product that comes with a disposable battery. That means you’ll inevitably have to change that battery, unless you no longer care about tracking or you’re somehow prepared to splurge on new AirTags every year or so. Here’s everything you need to know about the AirTag battery replacement process.
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To replace an AirTag battery:
- Face the battery cover towards you, then press down on it with your thumbs and rotate counterclockwise until it won't spin any further. If you're successful, the cover should pop off.
- Remove the old battery, and insert a new CR2032 lithium 3V coin.
- Replace the cover. To do this, align the three tabs on the cover with the empty slots in the AirTag itself.
- Rotate the cover clockwise until it stops.
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Can you charge the AirTag battery?
Technically you might be able to, but probably not. AirTags rely on CR2032 lithium 3V coin batteries, and there are rechargeable CR2032s out there. The problem is that they’re relatively rare, and you’ll need a specialized wall charger to top them up. Rechargeables are also prone to less longevity on a charge, which means more frequent changes.
There’s no way to recharge an AirTag while its battery is still in place, since there’s no power port or wireless charging coil.
How to replace the AirTag battery
Here’s the step-by-step process.
- Remove your AirTag from any case it’s in, and turn its battery cover (the steel section with the Apple logo) towards you.
- Press down on the cover and rotate counterclockwise until it won’t spin any further. This is the hardest part of the process — you’ll probably need to brace the AirTag and use both of your thumbs to get anything moving.
- If you’re successful, the cover should easily pop off.
- Remove the old battery, and insert a new CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery with the positive (plus) side up.
- Replace the cover. To do this, align the three tabs on the cover with the empty slots in the AirTag itself.
- Rotate the cover clockwise until it stops. This should be easier than it was to remove the cover in the first place.
How to check your AirTag battery level percentage
Unfortunately, there’s no way to get a defined battery percentage for an AirTag. The closest you’ll get is an “AirTag Battery is Low” notification from the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad, and a red battery bar in the app’s Items tab.
This is all that’s usually necessary, though — if you get that notification, you should have a few days before an AirTag’s battery dies completely. Make the replacement as soon as possible to be safe. Once you replace the battery, we have a few tips to conserve AirTag battery life.
FAQs
Apple says a battery should last one year, but real-world longevity depends on factors like how often you trigger the AirTag’s ringer. We’ve seen AirTags last more than a year.
AirTags rely on CR2032 lithium 3V coin batteries. There are rechargeable CR2032s, but disposables are recommended for reasons we explain above.
You can’t, short of removing the battery entirely.
No. You’ll get a notification from the Find My app on your paired iPhone or iPad, but otherwise, AirTags are silent until they die.