Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability
Recorded: Jan. 26, 2026, 3 p.m.
| Original | Summarized |
Apple introduces new AirTag with expanded range and improved findability - Apple AppleStoreMaciPadiPhoneWatch 0+ Newsroom Open Newsroom navigation Close Newsroom navigation Apple Services Apple Stories Search Newsroom opens in new window UPDATE
Apple introduced the new AirTag, now with an expanded finding range and a louder speaker. Apple today unveiled the new AirTag, a powerful accessory that helps users keep track of and find the items that matter most with Apple’s Find My app — now with an expanded finding range and a louder speaker. Powered by the strength of the Find My network, AirTag allows users to keep tabs on their belongings every single day. Since the launch of AirTag in 2021, users from around the world have shared stories of being reunited with lost luggage, keys, bicycles, bags, and more. With the help of AirTag placed inside an instrument case, a musician was able to locate their lost instrument and perform that evening, while another user was able to find lost luggage that contained a lifesaving medication. AirTag is designed exclusively for tracking objects and offers industry-leading protections against unwanted tracking. It is available today for the same price as its predecessor: $29 for a single AirTag and $99 for a four-pack, with free personalized engraving available on apple.com and the Apple Store app. iPhone 17 Pro shows a list of a user’s items alongside a map. iPhone 17 Pro shows an overview of a user named Royce’s backpack, including its location on a map. Powered by the strength of the Find My network, AirTag allows users to keep tabs on their belongings every single day, from keys and wallets to backpacks, luggage, and more. Powered by the strength of the Find My network, AirTag allows users to keep tabs on their belongings every single day, from keys and wallets to backpacks, luggage, and more. previous next Enhanced Range and Findability Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip — the same chip found in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11 — powers the new AirTag, making it easier to locate than ever before. Using haptic, visual, and audio feedback, Precision Finding guides users to their lost items from up to 50 percent farther away than the previous generation.1 And an upgraded Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located. For the first time, users can use Precision Finding on Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, to find their AirTag, bringing a powerful experience to the wrist. A user’s Apple Watch shows an item labeled “Debra’s Keys” is 20 feet away. A user’s Apple Watch shows a green screen shows that the user is four feet away from an item labeled “Family Car Keys.” Precision Finding guides users through haptic, visual, and audio feedback to their lost items from up to 50 percent farther away than the previous generation, and an updated Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located. Precision Finding guides users through haptic, visual, and audio feedback to their lost items from up to 50 percent farther away than the previous generation, and an updated Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located. previous next With its updated internal design, the new AirTag is 50 percent louder than the previous generation, enabling users to hear their AirTag from up to 2x farther than before. Paired with its enhanced Precision Finding capabilities and distinctive new chime, AirTag now makes it easier for users to find their important items, such as keys hidden deep in between couch cushions or a wallet as they head out the door. The Find My Network and Share Item Location Find My makes it easy to locate AirTag, Apple devices, and compatible third-party devices, as well as keep up with friends and family, all while protecting user privacy. If AirTag is out of range of its paired iPhone, the Find My network can help track it down. The Find My network is a crowdsourced network of Apple devices that use Bluetooth technology to detect the location of an accessory or device, and report their approximate location back to the owner. Find My makes it easy to locate AirTag, Apple devices, and compatible third-party devices, as well as keep up with friends and family, all while protecting user privacy. The new AirTag integrates seamlessly with Share Item Location, an iOS feature designed to help users recover a misplaced item by temporarily and securely sharing its location with trusted third parties, such as airlines, so they can assist in recovering delayed luggage or other lost items. Apple has partnered directly with more than 50 airlines to privately and securely accept Share Item Location links. With Share Item Location, users can share the location of a misplaced item with a participating airline’s customer service team. According to SITA, a leading IT provider for airlines, carriers report that using Share Item Location has reduced baggage delays by 26 percent and reduced incidences of “truly lost” or unrecoverable luggage by 90 percent. Access is granted only to authorized personnel via secure Apple Account or partner authentication. The shared location will be disabled as soon as a user is reunited with their item, can be stopped by the owner at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days. iPhone 17 Pro shows a map and a screen that reads “With You,” and contains a list of items that includes “Guillermo’s Umbrella” and “Family Car Keys.” iPhone 17 Pro shows an screen that reads “Family Car Keys” and offers information on sharing the AirTag’s location. Two buttons at the bottom of the screen read “Continue” and “Not Now.” Share Item Location is an iOS feature that helps users locate and recover misplaced items by easily and securely sharing the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties such as airlines. Share Item Location is an iOS feature that helps users locate and recover misplaced items by easily and securely sharing the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with third parties such as airlines. previous next Industry-Leading Security Features The new AirTag is designed from the ground up to keep location data private and secure. AirTag doesn’t physically store location data or history on device, and end-to-end encryption protects all communication with the Find My network, ensuring that only the owner of a device can access its location data. No one, including Apple, knows the identity or location of any device that helped find it. Designed exclusively for tracking objects, and not people or pets, the new AirTag incorporates a suite of industry-first protections against unwanted tracking, including cross-platform alerts and unique Bluetooth identifiers that change frequently. The new AirTag incorporates a suite of industry-first protections against unwanted tracking, including cross-platform alerts and unique Bluetooth identifiers that change frequently. Environmental Responsibility and Accessory Compatibility Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. The new AirTag is designed with the environment in mind, with 85 percent recycled plastic in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled. Maintaining the same form factor as the original, the new AirTag is compatible with all existing AirTag accessories, including the FineWoven Key Ring, which is made from 68 percent recycled content and available in five beautiful colors. Pricing and Availability The new AirTag is available to order on apple.com and in the Apple Store app today, and will be available at Apple Store locations later this week. The new AirTag will also be available at Apple Authorized Resellers. Customers can add a personalized engraving to the new AirTag for free during checkout on apple.com and the Apple Store app. AirTag is available in one- and four-packs for $29 (U.S.) and $99 (U.S.), respectively. The Apple-designed AirTag FineWoven Key Ring is available in fox orange, midnight purple, navy, moss, and black for $35 (U.S.).2 The new AirTag requires a compatible iPhone with iOS 26 or later, or iPad with iPadOS 26 or later. Customers must have an Apple Account and be signed into their iCloud account. Certain features require Find My to be enabled in iCloud settings. Precision Finding on Apple Watch requires Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Ultra 2 or later, with watchOS 26.2.1. Share article Media Text of this article January 26, 2026 The new AirTag is available to order on apple.com and in the Apple Store app today, and will be available at Apple Store locations later this week. The new AirTag will also be available at Apple Authorized Resellers. Customers can add a personalized engraving to the new AirTag for free during checkout on apple.com and the Apple Store app. AirTag is available in one- and four-packs for $29 (U.S.) and $99 (U.S.), respectively. The Apple-designed AirTag FineWoven Key Ring is available in fox orange, midnight purple, navy, moss, and black for $35 (U.S.).2 The new AirTag requires a compatible iPhone with iOS 26 or later, or iPad with iPadOS 26 or later. Customers must have an Apple Account and be signed into their iCloud account. Certain features require Find My to be enabled in iCloud settings. Precision Finding on Apple Watch requires Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Ultra 2 or later, with watchOS 26.2.1. About Apple Press Contacts Copy text Images in this article Download all images About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it. Precision Finding is not available in countries and regions where Ultra Wideband technology is restricted. For more information, visit apple.com/uwb. Press Contacts Stephanie Ng Apple sng26@apple.com Alex Kirschner Apple alexkirschner@apple.com Apple Media Helpline media.help@apple.com More from Apple Newsroom UPDATE UPDATE PHOTOS Apple Newsroom Stay up to date with the latest articles from Apple Newsroom. Dismiss Get Notifications Apple Footer Newsroom Apple introduces new AirTag with expanded range and improved findability Shop and Learn Shop and Learn Store Apple Wallet Apple Wallet Wallet Account Account Manage Your Apple Account Entertainment Entertainment Apple One Apple Store Apple Store Find a Store For Business For Business Apple and Business For Education For Education Apple and Education For Healthcare For Healthcare Apple and Healthcare For Government For Government Apple and Government Apple Values Apple Values Accessibility About Apple About Apple Newsroom More ways to shop: Find an Apple Store or other retailer near you. Or call 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753). United States Copyright © Privacy Policy Terms of Use Sales and Refunds Legal Site Map |
Apple has unveiled the next generation of its AirTag, a device designed to help users track and locate lost items. This iteration, dubbed the “best-selling item finder,” incorporates enhanced Precision Finding capabilities, a significantly expanded Bluetooth range, and a louder speaker – all aimed at improving the device’s ability to assist users in recovering misplaced belongings. Since the initial launch of AirTag in 2021, users have reported successes in recovering a diverse range of items, including luggage, keys, bicycles, and even instruments, frequently utilizing the device within the strength of the Find My network. The core of the new AirTag’s functionality rests on the second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, mirroring the same processor found in the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone Air, the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and the Apple Watch Series 11. This chip enables Precision Finding, which guides users to their lost items by utilizing haptic, visual, and audio feedback. The range of this feedback has been boosted by 50 percent compared to the previous generation. Additionally, an upgraded Bluetooth chip increases the overall reach at which items can be located. This expansion introduces the ability for users to leverage Precision Finding through newer Apple Watch models, specifically the Apple Watch Series 9 or later, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, bringing a powerful tracking experience directly to the wrist. The AirTag’s internal design has also been refined, resulting in a 50 percent increase in speaker volume. This heightened audio output allows users to hear the AirTag’s distinctive chime from up to twice the distance of the previous model. This improved sound, combined with the enhanced Precision Finding features, makes it easier to locate seemingly lost items like keys hidden deep within couch cushions or wallets when heading out the door. Crucially, the AirTag operates within the broader functionality of the Find My network. This network, comprised of millions of Apple devices globally, uses Bluetooth technology to detect and report the location of AirTags and other Find My-enabled accessories. This crowdsourced network dramatically increases the chances of locating a lost AirTag, even when it's out of range of the user’s paired iPhone. Alongside these improvements, Apple has prioritized security and privacy. The new AirTag does not store location data or historical tracking information on its device. All communications with the Find My network are protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only the owner of the device can access its location data. This design minimizes the risk associated with unwanted tracking, further solidifying Apple’s commitment to user privacy. Industry-leading protections against unwanted tracking include frequent changes to Bluetooth identifiers and cross-platform alerts. Apple has also taken steps to bolster the sustainability of the AirTag. The enclosure is constructed using 85 percent recycled plastic, and all magnets are comprised of 100 percent recycled rare earth elements. Moreover, the gold plating in the Apple-designed printed circuit boards utilizes 100 percent recycled gold, and the packaging is entirely fiber-based and easily recyclable. The device maintains compatibility with existing AirTag accessories, including the FineWoven Key Ring. Pricing and availability reflect these improvements: a single AirTag is offered at $29, while a four-pack costs $99. Users can personalize their AirTags with free engraving during checkout on apple.com and the Apple Store app. The new AirTag requires a compatible iPhone with iOS 26 or later, or iPad with iPadOS 26 or later, with an Apple Account and iCloud sign-in. Certain features requiring Find My to be enabled in iCloud settings. |