Apple just fixed the one thing longtime AirTag owners have quietly complained about for years – you couldn’t hear the AirTag ringing unless you were practically on top of it. The new AirTag is 50% louder than the original, and for most people, that’s the upgrade that will actually matter.
I’ve been using item trackers since before AirTags existed, and I’ve used first-gen AirTags since day one, in 2021. If an AirTag slipped to the bottom of a purse or backpack or under couch cushions, you had to be practically on top of it to hear it chirp. In real life, that made the “Play Sound” feature far less useful than it should have been. Apple says the new AirTag can be heard from up to 2x farther away, which in my experience would mean about 20 feet if it’s sitting out on a table. That alone changes how practical this product is day to day.
Yes, Apple is also talking about an expanded range for nearby tracking, thanks to a new Ultra Wideband chip. That means better directional guidance for your AirTag when using your iPhone or Apple Watch. But here’s the part Apple’s marketing glosses over: Most people won’t see those benefits unless they also upgrade their hardware.
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The enhanced Precision Finding relies on Apple’s second-gen ultrawideband (UWB) wireless chip, which is in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple Watch users can only get the previous Precision Finding on Series 9 or later. If you’re on an older iPhone or watch, the experience will feel largely the same as today – except louder.
And that’s fine. Because I expect that the loudness is what will fix my real-world annoyance.
Apple also expanded the Bluetooth range and continues to lean into its Share Item Location feature for airlines, which has quietly become one of AirTag’s most useful travel capabilities. More than 50 airlines now accept these links to help recover lost luggage, and according to SITA, which provides airlines and passengers with bag-tracking capabilities, AirTag use has cut baggage delays by 26% and “truly lost” bags by 90%.
Everything else stays familiar. Same $29 retail price (though, now you can buy one Gen 1 AirTag for $25.99 or 4 Gen 1 AirTags for $69.99). Same AirTag accessories (Yeah!). Same size. Same privacy protections and anti-stalking safeguards.
Which is exactly the point.
This isn’t a flashy redesign. It’s Apple addressing the one everyday friction point that made AirTags slightly frustrating to use. And if you’ve ever stood in your living room holding your phone and listening for a faint chirp buried in a bag, you already know why this upgrade is worth it.
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[Image credit: Apple]
