Apple has finally released an updated version of its popular Bluetooth item tracker, introducing the second-generation AirTag after nearly five years since the original launched in 2021. The new model brings several welcome improvements designed to make finding your lost items easier, louder, and more precise, all while retaining the same accessible price point as the original.
Apple’s AirTags quickly became one of the most popular tracking accessories, thanks to their seamless integration with the Find My app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch devices. The redesigned AirTag keeps the same core concept, a tiny tracker you can attach to keys, wallets, bags, or other items, but adds hardware enhancements that improve performance and user experience.
Upgraded Tracking With Enhanced Precision Finding
One of the most notable upgrades in the new AirTag is the inclusion of a second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, the same technology found in the latest iPhone and Apple Watch models. This UWB update significantly expands the range of Apple’s Precision Finding feature, allowing users to locate misplaced items from up to 50 percent farther away compared to the previous generation. The Precision Finding system uses a combination of haptic, visual, and audio feedback to guide you toward your lost item with much greater accuracy.
The upgraded chip also boosts overall connectivity, meaning AirTag signals can be detected from a wider area, and tracking may be more reliable in complex environments such as large indoor spaces or sprawling outdoor areas.
For the first time, Apple has expanded Precision Finding support to Apple Watch models. Users with an Apple Watch Series 9 or later or an Apple Watch Ultra 2 or newer can now use their wrist devices to help locate an AirTag without requiring their iPhone. This adds a level of convenience that previous models lacked, especially when your phone isn’t at hand.
Louder Alerts and Extended Reach
Another significant improvement with the second-generation AirTag is its audio output. Apple says the built-in speaker is now 50 percent louder than the previous model, which should make it easier to hear your AirTag when it’s buried in a couch cushion, beneath car seats, or tucked into a backpack pocket. The new AirTag also comes with a distinctive alert chime that makes identifying its location by sound more intuitive.
In addition to the louder speaker, Apple has upgraded the Bluetooth hardware, improving the overall range at which the AirTag can be detected. This combination of better wireless performance and more audible alerts makes the tracking experience more effective, especially for users who regularly use the device in crowded or signal-challenging environments.
Apple has retained the same battery life as the original AirTag, with a CR2032 coin cell expected to last over a year under normal use. The battery remains user-replaceable, a feature that’s increasingly uncommon in small wireless accessories but highly appreciated by users who want long-term use without needing technical replacement batteries.
Find My Network and Share Item Location
Like its predecessor, the new AirTag works within Apple’s Find My network, a vast crowdsourced system that uses Bluetooth signals from millions of Apple devices to locate lost accessories, phones, and more. If an AirTag moves out of range of your own device, the Find My network can still detect and report its location back to you, even anonymously.
Apple has also continued to support its Share Item Location feature, which allows you to temporarily and securely share the tracked location of an AirTag with trusted parties. This is particularly useful when working with airlines or other service providers to locate misplaced luggage or other transported items. Apple has already partnered with more than 50 airlines to help accept shared AirTag location data, potentially reducing lost or severely delayed baggage incidents.
Privacy and Security Protections
Security and privacy have always been central to Apple’s approach with AirTags, and the new model doubles down on these protections. Location data is not stored on the AirTag itself, and all communication with the Find My network is secured using end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the AirTag’s owner can access location information.
AirTag also continues Apple’s industry-leading safeguards against unwanted tracking, including rotating Bluetooth identifiers and cross-platform alerts for unknown devices. If an AirTag you don’t own is detected moving with you, your iPhone or compatible Android device will notify you, helping prevent misuse of tracking accessories.
Sustainability and Compatibility
Apple has emphasised environmental responsibility with the second-generation AirTag. The product enclosure uses 85 percent recycled plastic, while the rare earth elements in its magnets and the gold plating on circuit boards are made from 100 percent recycled materials. Even the packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and recyclable, aligning with Apple’s broader 2030 carbon-neutral goal across its entire business.
The new AirTag retains the same external design and dimensions as the first-generation model, meaning it is fully compatible with all existing AirTag accessories like key rings, loops, and holders. Apple has also introduced a range of new FineWoven Key Ring accessories in multiple colours to match the ecosystem around its latest products.
Pricing, Requirements, and Availability
The second-generation AirTag is available now from Apple’s online store, Apple Store app, and authorised resellers. Pricing remains unchanged from the original: £29 for a single AirTag and £99 for a four-pack, making it an accessible addition to Apple accessories. Free personalised engraving is also offered during checkout for customisation.
To use the new AirTag, you’ll need an iPhone or iPad running iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 and an Apple Account signed into iCloud. Some features, such as Precision Finding on Apple Watch, require watchOS 26.2.1 or later on supported Apple Watch models.
Final Thoughts
Apple’s second-generation AirTag brings meaningful upgrades that enhance range, audio clarity, and usability without changing the tried-and-tested foundation that made the original a standout tracking accessory. With better Precision Finding, louder alerts, broader Apple Watch support, and robust privacy protections, the new AirTag appeals to both existing users looking for a more capable tracker and newcomers wanting reliable, everyday item location. Its familiar price point and compatibility with existing accessories make it a smooth upgrade path, while Apple’s expanded Share Item Location collaborations could prove particularly useful for travellers and frequent flyers.
Via Apple News
Keen tech writer outside of my day job in I.T. and spending time with my family.
