Do Airtags Need to Be Charged?

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Written By Dinu Sri

Dr H. T. D. S. Madusanka is an electronic expert with 10 years of experience, involved in the research and development of SMART HOME systems.

Imagine what it would be like if your Airtag stopped working or became dead in the middle of a search, only because its battery level is down. I can imagine how infuriating it can be and how angry you can become.

How does Airtag work? Maybe you have bought some Airtags and used them for some time, but you are not quite sure how to charge these devices. You are confused because there is no charging mechanism in the Airtag. Besides, Apple does not provide any charging kit with Airtags.

That’s because Airtags are battery run, and it does not take any charge. So, how would you keep your Airtag battery alive? You will get all the answers in this Article. Plus, you will know if it can be wirelessly charged. So, let’s proceed.

Do Airtags Need To Be Charged?

Airtag is a tracking device that needs a battery to run. But you cannot charge this device because it has no charging port. Apple has designed Airtag in ways so that you will have to throw the battery when its life is over and replace a new one. So, you don’t need to charge your Airtag.

Apple Airtag is a unique tracking device not just from a connectivity point of view but in the charging system. Its battery does not require any recharging. That’s why you won’t find any charging port in Airtag.

Apple has designed the Airtag’s battery to last for a long time. Within this time, you won’t have to recharge it. When the battery is entirely out of charge, you replace it with a new battery. Airtag is designed, so you don’t have to worry about charging, and the device can effectively keep track of your items.

If it needed a recharge, then there was a chance for this device to become dead in the middle of tracking. So, now the device is more convenient and easy to use. Besides, its battery is widely available.

How Often Do Airtags Need To Be Charged?

Airtags do not need to be charged. There is no way to charge an Airtag battery. So, when it wears off, you will have to change the battery. The battery life of an Airtag depends on many factors.

But altogether, with moderate use, an Airtag battery generally lasts about one year. In the meantime no need to charge the battery. There is no charging port in the Airtag, and you shouldn’t try to charge the battery after removing it from your Airtag. It can damage the tracker.

So, you cannot charge your Airtag’s battery. However, you will have to change it once a year. But sometimes, it can go on for more than a year, or sometimes it will last less than a year, depending on its usage.

What Type Of Battery Do Airtags Use?

Apple Airtag is wholly dependent on its battery. This battery goes on for a long time. And when its lifetime ends, you will have to throw it away and use a new one. But what types of batteries do Airtag have? Let’s find it out.

Airtag uses a replaceable CR2032 battery. One battery can keep your Airtag up and running for about one year. Then you have to replace the battery with a new one. You won’t need any particular and device-specific battery for that.

A regular CR2032 battery would do just fine. You will easily find them in the battery section of any store near your home. So, pick one when you go there. They are pretty affordable as well.

Since CR2032 batteries are tiny in size, now most manufacturers put a bittering agent as a coating on this battery so that small kids do not swallow it. You will have to ensure your CR2032 battery does not have any bitterant coating.

There are some downsides to having this coating. Sometimes, batteries with bitterant coating do not work with battery-powered devices like Airtag. Moreover, the coating might create issues by not letting the battery make the necessary contact with the device. In that case, the battery won’t work at all.

You will see a lot of brands of the CR2032 battery. Some of the most prominent are Duracell, LiCB, Energizer, Panasonic, Nanfu, etc.

How Long Does Airtag Battery Last?

Airtag uses a CR2032 battery. Generally, these batteries last about one year. But the actual lifespan depends on many factors, including its usage. So, if you moderately use your Airtag, the battery will last about one year.

But make sure you constantly check the battery level, and when it’s down to zero, you have to change it and out a new one. Not all batteries are compatible with this tracking device. You must use a CR2032 battery.

Do the Air Tag Functions Affect the Battery Life?

Airtag batteries last for a long time, and you can’t even recharge them in the meantime. The battery life depends on how much time you use this tracking device. But Apple has designed it to work efficiently. Plus, it doesn’t even consume your phone’s data since it only uses Bluetooth.

You can track your stuff using an Airtag. But the Airtag works through the Find My app. You can track your items from multiple locations using your phone, Airtag, and the Find My app. But the latest model of iPhones will give a precise coordinate. Besides, you’ll get an exact location if the item is closer to you.

However, a one-year life expectancy for Airtag batteries has been determined by a fixed amount of usage. A battery will keep your Airtag alive for one year if you use four sounds playing and one precision searching each day. Using more than that will drain more power out of the battery.

Several other factors can affect the life expectancy of a CR2032 battery. According to Apple, there are three factors that can directly affect the lifecycle and performance of an Airtag battery. They are:

  • The Amount of Usage
  • Environmental Conditions Around You
  • Replacement Battery Manufacturer Quality

So, you can say that an Airtag’s function can heavily affect its battery life. More usage will drain the battery quickly.

Do Airtags Use A Lot Of Battery?

Airtag is a tracking device whose sole purpose is tracking items and sending locations to iCloud. It uses a Bluetooth connection in sending location. Besides, it has a built-in speaker that makes sound while searching for an item. So, Airtags generally do not consume a lot of battery.

We already know that one CR2032 battery with moderate use runs for about one year. If you use four sounds per day and one precision tracking, you will have to change the battery once a year. So, it’s safe to say that Airtags do not use a lot of battery.

How To Check Airtag’s Battery Level?

If you have been using your Airtag battery for so long, you should keep track of the battery level. Otherwise, it would be extremely frustrating if it stopped working in the middle of a search. You can always check its battery level from the Find My app.

Here’s how you can check Airtag’s battery level:

  • Firstly, you have to open the Find My app. Make sure you have the latest version of the app. Find My app will only run on iPhone and Apple devices.
  • Now from the app, you’ll have to select the Devices Tab.
  • You will see all the Airtags that are connected to your iCloud. You have to select the one you want to check the battery level.
  • After that, you will see a Battery icon under the Name of your selected Airtag. You will see a banner showing Low Battery if your battery is low.

So, if you see your battery is low, it’s time to replace it with a new one.

How To Change The Battery In An Airtag

If the battery level of your Airtag is down to zero, you will have to change it and put a new one. Changing a battery is relatively easy, and you can do it yourself; Apple has designed it that way.

You can change your Airtag’s battery in the following way:

  • Firstly, hold your Airtag and set it face-up. You will see the stainless steel battery cover in front of you. The white base will be facing downward.
  • Then you have to press down the battery cover and rotate it counterclockwise until it stops.
  • After that, when the metal cap completely turns off, you have to take it off. You will see the old battery now.
  • Now it’s time to remove the battery. Gently bring it out of the battery chamber. Make sure there is no residue from the old battery in the chamber.
  • Then take the new battery and put it inside the chamber. See if it’s correctly placed; otherwise, the battery won’t work.
  • Next, put the back cover on, rotate it clockwise, and seal it. Check whether the seal is working correctly.
  • Finally, your Airtag is up and running again.

You should always keep track of the battery level so you can see how much energy it consumes. You can plan accordingly.

What Happens When Airtag Battery Dies?

There is no way you can run an Airtag without a battery. Airtag is not rechargeable and uses a battery-run technology. So, if the battery of an Airtag dies, your Airtag will be dead too. So, you won’t be able to use it any further. If the battery of an Airtag dies, it is because of two reasons.

It’s either because the battery is entirely over, or there is some issue with the battery. If the battery is almost zero, you will have to replace it with a new one. But if the battery level is not zero and it’s not working, then you know the problem lies elsewhere.

Can You Wirelessly Charge Airtags?

You won’t find any charging port in Airtags. That’s because you can’t recharge the Airtag battery. It’s designed to change the battery after about one year when it completely wears off. But you might be wondering whether its battery can be charged wirelessly.

The answer is no; you can’t charge your Airtag battery in any way, not even wirelessly, because Airtags do not have any charging mechanism. It doesn’t have the technology to be charged through wireless chargers. So, you won’t be able to charge an Airtag with a wireless charger.

Final Thoughts

So, you can see that you cannot charge your Airtag battery. Let me give you one last suggestion. Always keep one or two extra batteries with you for your Airtag. Whenever the battery is dead, you can change it almost instantly without going to any store.

References

Johnson, D. (2022, February 19). How long an AirTag battery should last, and how to replace it. Retrieved from Business Insider