We’ll show you exactly how to use AirTags so you can master the handy tools.
What Is an AirTag?
AirTags are Apple’s Bluetooth tracking devices. They’re a small disc that you can attach to objects to help you find something if you lose it.
Your iPhone will help you find any lost item with an AirTag attached. It does this by guiding your iPhone to the tracker if it’s nearby, or showing you the location of the tracker on a map if it’s further away. They’re IP67 rated, and come with built-in safety features, so are an ideal solution for any iPhone user who wants to keep tabs on their belongings.
Being roughly the size of a bottle cap, AirTags are perfect for attaching to your keys or other important items to prevent you from losing them.
Read More: The Best Items to Attach Apple’s AirTags To
How to Set Up an AirTag
In true Apple fashion, it’s really easy to set up an AirTag with your iPhone. For all the below steps, it’s important to note that you need an iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 14.5 or later, or an iPad running at least iPadOS 14.5.
Firstly, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve unwrapped the new AirTag from the protective plastic. Doing this will pull out the plastic tab that lets the AirTag turn on. You’ll know you’ve done this, as the AirTag plays a chime.
Similarly to AirPods or Beats headphones, you just need to bring a new AirTag near your iPhone. Then, a white box will appear at the bottom of your screen asking you to connect to the device.
Once connected, you’re asked to set a name for the AirTag, as well as an emoji to represent it. Next, you register the AirTag to your Apple ID account, and the setup process is complete. It’s super quick and headache-free.
How to Use an AirTag
When it comes to using your AirTag, there’s not an awful lot that you need to do. The devices work automatically in the background. Each AirTag will refresh its location in the Find My app every time your iPhone comes near it, or when it’s nearby a Find My network device.
If you want to see an AirTag’s location, you’ll just need to open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Under the Items section on the bottom bar, you’ll see all your AirTags.
The app will display your AirTags on a map, along with your current location and a list. From here, tapping on an AirTag’s name will give you the options of finding it, playing a sound, enabling Lost Mode, or removing it from your Apple ID.
You control everything about the AirTag from the Find My app. On the device itself, you’ll only need to change the battery when it runs out, which Apple says is roughly once per year. Once you’ve put an AirTag somewhere, you can pretty much forget about it until you need to find it.
Remember, Precision Finding will only work on the iPhone 11 or later, as it needs the U1 chip to function properly. All the other features work with all other Apple devices, including iPad and Mac.
How to Change an AirTag’s Battery
Unlike many other Apple products, AirTags come with a replaceable battery. This is a CR2032 battery, which is the same one many other Bluetooth trackers, as well as watches, use. You don’t have to use a Panasonic-branded battery like the photo; that’s just the one provided.
When you need to change the battery on your AirTag, just push down and twist the metal section of the device to open it up. It’s similar to the child-safety cap on most medicine bottles. The metal part pops off, allowing access to the battery inside.
You can simply tip the battery out from the AirTag’s body, and put the new one in right away. To confirm the new battery works, the AirTag will make a chime when you twist it back together.
Using an AirTag in the Future
Now that you’ve got the process of using an AirTag down to a tee, it’s time to start using yours. The next time you misplace your keys, you’ll be able to find them much easier than ever before.
As long as you’re familiar with the Find My app, you’re all set to go. And you don’t even need to remember where your AirTags are to change the battery—they’ll tell you themselves.
