Do Magnets Affect Airtags?

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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.

As much as you know about Airtags, it seems little because new information about this tiny location tracker is coming out every day. People are asking so many questions out of curiosity. One of the most common questions is how long does an AirTag last? Well, it’ll last unless you mess with it. 

But another question people are asking is whether magnets affect Airtags. I’m sure you have the same question in mind. Stick with me here because here in this article; I will answer this question and discuss it in detail. So, let’s fire away. 

Do Magnets Affect Airtags? 

Airtags have a small magnet inside the built-in speaker. This little magnet on the back stops Airtags from moving around or getting shaken out of a metal surface. Because of this small magnet, Airtags can stay attached nimbly on magnetic or metal surfaces. Other than that, magnets do not affect Airtags any other way. 

Apple Airtag is a location tracker device. It was first introduced on April 2021. After releasing, people have accepted it with open arms. Why not? There was nothing like Airtags before. A device that can track personal belongings like keys, wallets, purses, backpacks, and many more. 

Nobody thought a tracker could be legally used on a daily basis for tracking personal items that easily slip off or get lost. Since it’s an affordable tracking device, people use it to prevent losing important items. There are various ways you can use Airtag. 

You can put them into your purse or backpack, attach them to a surface, or hand them with your items. But Airtags do not have any magnets or adhesive on their back; they have a small magnet inside the built-in speaker. This magnet is not very powerful and attaches it nimbly to metal surfaces. 

However, this magnet is not enough to keep your Airtag firmly attached. It will easily slip off. So, the effect of this magnet is fragile. If you want to attach Airtags with magnets, you must use magnetic cases. These cases have strong magnets and firmly attached an Airtag. 

Are Airtags Magnetic?

Although Airtags have a small piece of magnets inside their built-in speaker, they are not magnetic. This magnet is tiny in size and not at all powerful enough. Apart from that small magnet, Airtags do not have any magnets on their back. That’s why you can’t say Airtags are magnetic. 

Airtags are made of polished precision-etched stainless steel. As a result, they are smooth. Since they do not have a magnetic back, you cannot just attach them to a surface. However, you will find magnetic cases for that. Yes, there are many magnetic cases available for Airtags. 

These cases have strong magnets. These magnetic cases will allow you to attach your Airtags to any metal surfaces firmly. Apple itself has such magnetic cases available in its stores. Besides, you will find many other good brands that make good quality magnetic cases for Airtags. 

Do Apple Airtags Demagnetize Cards?

We use different types of cards, from identity cards to credit cards nowadays. We use RFID cards for various purposes. Many of these cards have magnetic strips inside. People now use Airtags inside their credit cards to prevent them from loss and theft. Airtags will send signals from inside of your wallet. 

But this tracking device won’t demagnetize or damage any cards inside your wallets. Airtags uses Low Energy Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband technology to send and receive signals. So, it will mind its own business while working. 

Airtags are not magnetic. They can’t create any magnetic field. So, no way they can demagnetize any type of cards. You can keep all of them together inside your wallet without any worry. All of them use different ways of sending out signals. So they won’t mix with one another. 

Do Airtags Affect Credit Cards?

Sometimes people keep Airtag inside their wallets for tracking. People keep all their credit cards and other types of cards inside their wallets. So, anyone might think about whether Airtags will affect or damage credit cards. Airtags have a little magnet inside them whose magnetic field is very weak. 

On the other hand, most credit cards do not have magnetic strips anymore. So, Airtags and credit cards won’t magnetize each other. And if you talk about signals, Airtag won’t affect credit cards on that as well. Both of them use different radio frequency bands for sending signals. 

For example, Airtags work with iPhone using Low Energy Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband technology. On the contrary, credit cards use different frequencies for transferring signals. So, their frequency differs from a credit card chip’s frequency. So, they won’t bother each other and coexist inside a wallet without any issue. 

Does RFID Blocker Stop Airtags?

Many RFID blocking wallets are available now, and people use them to protect their credit cards. These RFID blocking wallets have RFID blockers inside, reducing the radio frequency signal that comes from your credit card. And because of that, hackers cannot hack credit cards. 

You can keep your Airtag in an RFID-blocking wallet, and it won’t block the signals coming out of your Airtag. RFID blockers can block a specific range of radio frequencies. More specifically, this blocker can block Bluetooth. But Airtag uses two modes of connectivity.

It uses Low Energy Bluetooth and Ultra-Wideband technology for sending location signals. LE Bluetooth is different from regular Bluetooth and uses different radio frequency channels. RFID blockers cannot block Ultra-Wideband signals. So, your Airtag will be able to send out its location signal from RFID blocking wallets. 

Here’s a table with ranges and radio frequencies of various components 

TechnologyRangeFrequency 
LE Bluetooth30 Feet2.4 GHz
RFID4 Inches300 to 960 MHz
WiFi66 Feet2.4 to 5 GHz
NFC3 Feet13.56 MHz
Ultra-Wideband200 Feet 3.1 to 10.6 GHz

Are Airtags Sticky? 

Airtags are not sticky. They don’t have any adhesive on their back. So, you can’t just attach them to a surface. However, you’ll find many Airtag cases that have a strong adhesive on the back. Those cases are sold separately. Because of the strong adhesive, they stay attached firmly to any surface. 

Apple sells a lot of adhesive cases for Airtags. But you can buy them from third-party brands. Those accessory cases will keep your Airtag safe and securely attached to a surface, but you can only use one case with one item. The adhesive won’t work if you remove the case from that item. 

So, Airtags are not sticky, and they won’t just stay attached to a surface, especially if that surface shakes violently. You will have to use an accessory for that.  

How To Attach Airtag With An Adhesive Back?

We already know that Airtag does not stay attached to a surface if it shakes or moves. You will have to use a case for that. Among many other cases, adhesive cases are very popular among many people. These cases are very sturdy and vibrant. 

Here I’ll show how to attach an Airtag with Adhesive back cases: 

  • At first, unbox your Airtag and remove the plastic cover. You’ll hear a starting sound. 
  • Now, set up your Airtag and connect it to your iPhone. 
  • Then take the adhesive back case and put your Airtag inside it. 
  • Finally, remove the cover from the adhesive part and attach the case to the surface or to the item you want to track. Press it firmly to make sure it won’t drop off. 

Your Airtag is now properly attached to a surface. You can now take the item anywhere with you. 

Do Airtags Make Noise? 

Apple has given a built-in speaker inside Airtags. As a result, Airtags can make sounds on various occasions. This is an extraordinary feature for a location tracker. You will be able to find your Airtag quickly because of this feature. Airtags can play different types of sounds. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1LdbZdCRzI

It will play a sound when you first attempt to set up this device with your phone. Then it will play a different sound when you complete the setup process. It plays a sound when you change its battery. Most importantly, it plays sounds while you are searching for it. 

Are Airtags Shockproof?

Airtags are made from high-quality materials. Because of the polished stainless steel material and build quality, Airtags are waterproof and dustproof. As a result, they are effortless to maintain. However, they are not shockproof. 

Generally, Airtags do no shock. But if it comes in touch with an overflown electric source, it will become electrocuted, and you’ll get shocked if you touch them. But it can be prevented by using shockproof Airtag cases, which are available on the market.

Final Thoughts 

Although Airtags have a little magnet inside, it hardly keeps it attaches to a surface, let alone affect any other devices. At the same time, magnets do not hugely affect Airtags, nor can they mess with Airtag’s signal. At best, you can use magnetic cases to keep attached Airtags to magnetic or metal surfaces.

References 

Owen, M. (2021, May 02). AirTag internal components tightly-packed, demonstrates x-ray scan. Retrieved from Appleinsider: