Apple’s Long-Anticipated AirTag Update Doubles Its Audible Range

Apple’s AirTag wasn’t the first tracker chip when it debuted in 2021 but it quickly became a proprietary eponym for the tech. A microcosm for the power of Apple, the AirTag certainly benefitted from the brand’s ubiquity and was also more accessible than others on the market. Now, over a billion iOS users can benefit from the technology to find missing keys, wallets, luggage, and pets, among other things.

For the past 5 years, AirTag has gone unchanged, but with Apple’s latest refresh, we finally get some welcomed improvements.

How AirTag Works

Before diving into what’s new, here’s a quick refresher on how this thing actually operates. AirTag taps into Apple’s Find My network — a crowdsourced system where hundreds of millions of Apple devices use Bluetooth to anonymously ping the location of your lost items. The first generation relied on the U1 Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding, which used haptic, visual, and audio feedback to guide you directly to your stuff. Pair that with a replaceable CR2032 battery lasting about a year and IP67 water resistance, and you had a pretty solid tracker. The system worked well enough to dethrone established players like Tile almost overnight.

The U2 Chip Changes Everything

The biggest upgrade here is Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip — the same U2 found in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, and recent Apple Watch models. This extends Precision Finding range by 50% over the original, which allows you to find your items from significantly farther away. Precision Finding is now available on Apple Watch Series 9 or later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, bringing the feature to your wrist for the first time as well. The updated Bluetooth chip also expands the overall range for locating items, though Apple hasn’t released exact distance figures.

Louder Speaker, Better Chime

Anyone who’s used the original AirTag knows the speaker could be… underwhelming. The Gen 2 addresses this head-on with a redesigned internal architecture that’s 50% louder, audible from up to twice the distance. There’s also a new distinctive chime that should cut through ambient noise better when you’re hunting for your keys in the house.

Share Item Location Integration

The new AirTag works seamlessly with iOS’s Share Item Location feature, which lets you temporarily share your AirTag’s location with trusted third parties — like airlines when your luggage goes missing. Apple has partnered with over 50 airlines on this, and early data from SITA shows impressive results: a 26% reduction in baggage delays and a 90% drop in “truly lost” luggage. Access is encrypted, time-limited, and can be revoked anytime.

Environmental Credentials

Apple continues pushing its 2030 carbon-neutral goals with this release. The new AirTag features 85% recycled plastic in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in the magnets, and 100% recycled gold plating on the circuit boards. The packaging is entirely fiber-based. The form factor remains identical to the original, including dimensions and weight, so you don’t have to worry about upgrading your AirTag holders.

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

The AirTag Gen 2 maintains the same pricing structure as its predecessor: $29 for a single unit or $99 for a four-pack. Free personalized engraving is also available. Retail availability at Apple Stores and authorized resellers should be rolling out this week.

Recap

Apple AirTag Gen2

Apple’s AirTag Gen 2 finally gets some meaningful upgrades after five years—50 percent better range with the new U2 chip, a speaker that’s actually loud enough to hear, and Precision Finding on Apple Watch. Still $29, still works with all your old accessories, just way more effective at tracking down your stuff.

Learn More: Apple