AirTags are very tiny yet affordable tracking devices. You can get 1 AirTag for $29 and 4 AirTags for $99. Considering how affordable AirTags are, you can buy multiple AirTags for each item that lacks smart features. However, there is some limitations to having multiple AirTags.
Before the AirTag is able to track your items, it should be connected to Find My app. And for you to download the app, you need an Apple ID. Sadly, you can only register 16 items on one Apple ID. So, if you have more things to trace, you will need more than one compatible Apple devices and another Apple ID.
Having more than 16 items that want to be tracked does not mean you should not track them. There is a solution for every problem encountered. Keep reading this guide till the end to learn why Apple has limited the number of AirTags that can be tracked with one account and what to do if you have more than the required numbers of AirTags.
How Many AirTags Can You Have on One Account?
The first step after checking if your AirTag is working is connecting it to your iPhone. When connecting your AirTag to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad you will need to enable Find My App which is usually connected to the Apple ID. Your Apple ID is what allows you to register the AirTag by it’s name for the sake of tracking.
AirTags rely on location history during tracking. Your AirTag updates it’s location history every two minutes provided it is closer to an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad with IOS 14.50. The location history is then uploaded to iCloud where you can access it Incase your AirTag gets lost.
When registering for an iCloud account, you will need to use your Apple ID. So, you cannot use your AirTag without registering it to your Apple ID. Below are the steps you follow when registering your AirTag to your Apple ID.
- Make sure your AirTag is ready to be connected.
- Turn on Bluetooth, two-factor authentication, Find My app enabled, and internet connection.
- Bring your AirTag closer to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
- The AirTag Bluetooth will be detected by your Apple device and they will pair.
- On Find My app, you will get a notification of a new AirTag once it gets connected.
- You can then go ahead and register your AirTag to your Apple ID.
- To register your AirTag to your Apple ID, Tap continue.
- Follow the onscreen instructions and then Tap done.
- Your AirTag will then be visible on Find My app.
If you have multiple AirTags that need to be connected to your Apple ID, you will need to repeat the process for each of the AirTags. Unfortunately there is a limit to the number of AirTags you can register in your Apple ID.
Apple allows you to register a maximum of 16 AirTags on one Apple ID. So, if you want to use more than 16 AirTags, you can use your family members Apple ID to register them. Remember, you cannot connect an AirTag to a managed Apple ID.
Your Apple ID Cannot Add another AirTag error
Sometimes your Apple ID might refuse to add more AirTags. This happens when you have exceeded the required limit of AirTags. On other times, the error happens even if you only have one AirTag.
Normally, this error comes as a notification pop-up “ Apple ID cannot Add Another AirTag, remove one or more AirTags to connect”.
If this error happens, you can check the number of AirTags registered to your Apple ID. If the number is within the required limit, you can follow this guide to fix the issue.
1. Unpair your Airpods from your iPhone
Apple ID counts your Airpods as a separate AirTag. So, if you have two Airpods connected to your Apple ID, they count among the 16 AirTags connection limit. To fix this issue;
- Unpair your Airpods from your iPhone.
- Force close all the background apps including Find My app and settings.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Pair your AirTag with your iPhone and then pair the Airpods back.
Remembered, you can only connect 16 items to your Apple ID. So, even the Airpods counts among the 16.
2. Disable the Bluetooth
Your Bluetooth connection might be the reason your AirTag is not connecting to your Apple ID.
- Disable the Bluetooth on your iPhone.
- Wait for 30 seconds and then turn Bluetooth on again.
- Go to settings.
- Select privacy.
- Go to my devices and select all the devices you rarely use.
Once you have removed the AirTags that you rarely use, you can add more AirTags if it allows.
If you try the two techniques and the AirTag is still not connecting to your Apple ID, you might need to factory reset your Airtags.
3. Hard reset your AirTag
- Remove the battery from the AirTag by pressing the cover down and rotating it anticlockwise until it cannot rotate anymore.
- Remove the cover and then the battery.
- Replace the battery again making sure you press the battery down till it makes a sound.
- If it makes a sound, know that your AirTag is connected.
- Repeat the process four more times, the last time your AirTag will produce a different sound. This is what indicates that your AirTag has successfully reset.
- Place the cover on the AirTag ensuring the three tabs on the cover are in alignment with the three slots on the AirTag.
- Start rotating the cover clockwise till it cannot rotate anymore.
- Connect the AirTag back to your Apple ID.
Hard resetting your AirTag solves almost all errors associated with your AirTag. So, if your AirTag does not work after hard resetting, your AirTag must be defective.
Can you share an AirTag with someone?
Unfortunately, you cannot share your AirTag with anyone else even your family members. AirTag lacks the sharing feature available in other Apple devices.
Once you connect your AirTag to your Apple ID, only you can get the notification if your AirTag gets lost. You are the only person who can check the AirTag location history. This creates an inconvenience for items that are usually shared within the family members.
For example, if you have registered your pet’s AirTag to your Apple ID, you will keep getting notifications of a stalker using your AirTag if one of your family members with a compatible Apple ID decides to walk the pet.
Although, AirTags lack the family -sharing feature, it does not mean you cannot let your family members use your AirTag. The AirTag family sharing guide below will offer you all the tips you can use when you want to share your AirTag with your family members.
- Transfer your AirTag to someone else
Although Apple ensures that an AirTag can only be linked to one Apple ID, it does not discourage transferring AirTags to another Apple ID. However, you will need to hard reset the AirTag to prevent issues when setting it up.
- Remove the AirTag from your Apple ID.
- Hard reset the AirTag
- Ensure the new iPhone that you want to connect is ready to setup. Check if Bluetooth, two-factor authentication, and Find My are enabled.
- Bring the AirTag closer to the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.
- If Bluetooth is on, your AirTag will connect with the Apple device.
- You can then go ahead to the items bars and name your newly connected AirTag.
Once the AirTag has been connected to the new Apple ID, the location history starts updating freshly.
- Use common devices that are rarely used.
It is not uncommon for you to have extra devices at home. For example, you might have an iPhone that you commonly use, and an iPad that is mostly used at home by everyone.
If you have such devices and are compatible with AirTags, you can decide to use a different Apple ID and register the commonly shared Apple AirTag. You can connect your pet’s AirTag to a different Apple ID in a different Apple device. This will eliminate the need to keep transferring AirTags back and forth.
- Open a new Apple ID
A lot of people are not aware that you can own multiple Apple IDs. Yes. You can open another Apple ID on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and use them for other purposes.
So, if you want to connect your Airpods, or other Apple devices, you can open a new Apple ID and let AirTags have an account of their own.
- Open Apple store on your iPhone.
- Tap the sign-in button.
- Tap create new Apple ID.
- If you can’t see this option then you will need to sign out of iCloud.
- Enter your billing details for when you want to purchase premium services.
- You can choose none and update later when you are purchasing premium services.
- Confirm your phone number which will be used to verify your identity.
- You will get an email asking you to verify your account.
Once you are done, you can start registering new AirTags and other Apple devices. Creating Apple ID is totally free.
Although Apple IDs are free to create, you will need to include your billing details so that you can access premium services offered by Apple. It is important for each member of your family to have their own Apple ID. This ensures that everyone have their privacy and data remains safe. You can still use one iCloud account even with different Apple IDs.
Having an iCloud account enables you to store data that can be helpful in the future. It allows you as a family to share the premium subscriptions without the need to pay again. This feature is available in family sharing in most Apple devices.
iCloud account does not only Aid storing of data, you can use the account to track your lost AirTag. To find out more about Apple devices and services, you can subscribe to this page. I will get the first person to give you new information once released by Apple.
Conclusion
Although Apple does not allow you to share an AirTag with a family member, you can create a new Apple ID that you can use to register multiple AirTags.
One Apple ID can connect up to 16 items. So, if you have multiple AirTags, you can still keep track of your items without the fear of being limited. Furthermore, AirTags are very cheap.
If your Apple ID is full, you can create a new account for free. Alternatively, you can use the guide above to learn how to fix errors encountered when connecting AirTags to Apple ID.
Since this is not the last guide you will be getting from me about AirTags, I would advice you to subscribe to this page to keep up with the always new information in this page.
References
- Zhang, H. (2021). Evaluating the Impact of Multiple Feedback Methods on Motor Memory Training and Absent-mindedness.
- Skala, T. (2022). I Spy with My Little—GPS Tracking Device: Why Georgia Should Look to the United Kingdom’s Domestic Violence Laws to Deter Innovative Abuses of Technology. Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law, 50(2), 490.
- Girish, A. ImposTer: Towards an extensible privacy analysis framework for Smart Home ecosystem.