You’re walking through an airport, or maybe just tearing your couch cushions apart, and you realize that little "chirp" isn't happening. Your iPhone sends a notification that feels like a tiny chore: Low Battery. Most of us just toss the AirTag in a drawer and forget about it for three months. Don't do that. Replacing the battery is a two-minute job, but there is one specific trap that catches people every single time. It's the bitterant.
Apple’s AirTags are brilliant little tracking pucks. They last about a year. Maybe fourteen months if you aren't constantly pinging the Lost Mode. But when they die, they don't just stop; they sort of fade away, losing their range first. Honestly, it’s one of the few Apple products where you can actually swap the internals yourself without a proprietary screwdriver or a trip to the Genius Bar.
The Secret Headache: Why Some CR2032 Batteries Just Won’t Work
Here is the thing. You go to the store. You see a pack of Duracell CR2032 batteries. They have a giant "Bitter Coating" label on the front to stop kids from swallowing them. You buy them, you pop one in, and... nothing. The AirTag stays dead.
This isn't a glitch.
Apple designed the battery contacts in a way that the bitter coating—that nasty-tasting film—actually blocks the electrical signal. It acts as an insulator. If you want to replace apple air tag battery units successfully, you have to buy the "plain" ones or scrub the coating off with a bit of isopropyl alcohol. It’s a weirdly specific problem that leads to thousands of "broken" AirTags being thrown away when they are perfectly fine.
Checking the Stats Before You Swap
Before you crack it open, check the Find My app. Open the app on your iPhone. Tap "Items." If you see a low battery icon next to the name of your keys or backpack, it’s time. If there is no icon, but the "Play Sound" button is greyed out, your battery is likely already flat. Apple uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), so the power draw is minimal until you actually try to find the thing.
How to Replace Apple AirTag Battery Without Breaking the Clips
You don't need tools. Just your thumbs.
First, take the AirTag out of whatever leather keychain or loop it's living in. Hold the silver stainless steel battery cover side facing you. Now, press down firmly. While you’re pressing, rotate the cover counter-clockwise. It only needs to move about fifteen degrees. The cover will pop up slightly.
Take it off.
Flip the AirTag over, and the old battery should just fall out. If it’s stuck, give it a little tap. You'll see the circular housing. It’s surprisingly clean in there, usually. Take your new CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery—the one without the bitter coating, remember—and slide it in with the positive (+) side facing up. You should see the text on the battery.
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The Chirp of Success
As soon as you press the battery down, the AirTag will make a small, high-pitched chime. That’s the most important part of the process. No chime? No power. If it’s silent, check the orientation or check if that bitter coating is blocking the pins.
Once you hear the sound, put the cover back on. Align the three tabs on the cover with the slots on the AirTag. Press down. Rotate it clockwise until it stops. It should feel solid. If the cover feels loose or wobbly, you didn't align the tabs right. Start over. It’s better to spend an extra ten seconds now than to have your battery cover fall off in a parking lot somewhere.
Dealing with the "Not Reachable" Bug
Sometimes you replace the battery and the app still says "Low Battery." It’s annoying. This is usually just a caching issue in iOS.
Give it a few minutes.
Walk away from the AirTag and come back. If the status doesn't update, you might need to "reset" the AirTag, though this is rare. To do that, you basically have to remove and replace the battery five times in a row, letting it chime each time. On the fifth time, the chime sounds different. That means it’s factory reset. You’ll have to pair it to your iPhone again like it’s brand new.
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Real-World Longevity and Cold Weather
If you live somewhere like Chicago or Montreal, your AirTag batteries are going to die faster. Cold kills coin cells. Lithium batteries struggle when the temperature drops below freezing. If you have an AirTag hidden in your car or on a bike kept in an unheated garage, expect to replace apple air tag battery every six to eight months instead of a year.
Also, brand matters. It really does. Stick to Energizer, Panasonic, or Sony (now Murata). The cheap "no-name" batteries you find in bulk bins at the dollar store often have a lower capacity. They might work for a month, but they’ll leak or die right when you actually need to find your lost luggage.
Why You Should Keep a Spare in Your Glovebox
It’s a good habit to keep one spare CR2032 in your wallet or car. These batteries have a shelf life of nearly 10 years. Since the AirTag uses the "Find My" network of millions of iPhones, it is your best safety net, but that net disappears the second the juice runs out.
I’ve seen people try to use CR2025 batteries because they look identical. They aren't. The "32" in 2032 stands for 3.2mm thickness. A 2025 is only 2.5mm. It will fit, but it won't make a solid connection, and your AirTag will constantly disconnect and reconnect, draining what little power is there in days.
Maintenance Tips for a Clean Connection
While you have the cover off, take a look at the seal. There is a tiny rubber O-ring that makes the AirTag water-resistant (IP67 rated). If you see hair or gunk in there, wipe it out with a dry microfiber cloth. Don't use water. If that seal is compromised, a rainy day could fry the circuit board.
A lot of people worry about the stainless steel back getting scratched. It will. It's inevitable. It's a tool, not a piece of jewelry. However, if the scratches are deep near the edge of the cover, it can make it harder to grip and twist. If your thumbs are slipping, try using a piece of rubberized shelf liner or a latex glove to get more traction.
Moving Forward With Your AirTag
Once the new battery is in and the chime has sounded, your Find My app should reflect the "Full" status within an hour. You don't need to do anything else. No software updates, no re-pairing, no fuss.
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Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your items: Open the Find My app right now and scroll through your "Items" list to see if any have the low battery indicator.
- Buy the right pack: If you need to replace apple air tag battery units today, look for CR2032 batteries specifically labeled as "Medical" or "Electronic" if you want to ensure they don't have the bitter coating.
- Clean the contacts: If you already bought the bitter-coated ones, use a cotton swab with a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol to clean the negative (bottom) and positive (top) surfaces of the battery before installing.
- Mark the date: Use a Sharpie to write the month and year on the back of the battery before you put it in. Next time it dies, you'll know exactly how long that specific brand lasted in your environment.
Don't wait for the battery to hit 0%. If you're planning a trip, swap the battery a week before you leave. It's cheap insurance against the stress of a lost suitcase with a dead tracker.