Apple announced a new AirTag update that extends its tracking range and improves audio feedback, making it easier to track down lost belongings.
The main improvement is Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, previously used in the iPhone 17 and certain Apple Watch models. Combined with upgraded Bluetooth, it allows Precision Finding to reach up to 50 percent farther than before.
For close-range tracking, Apple has boosted the AirTag’s speaker by 50 percent with a new internal design, making the sound audible from nearly twice the distance and improving haptic, visual, and audio cues in the Find My app.
The AirTag continues to use the Find My network, which anonymously collects Bluetooth signals from nearby Apple devices to help locate items. In scenarios such as missing luggage, users can also share a secure tracking link with trusted parties, including airlines, through iOS’s Share Item Location feature.
Apple said it has partnered with more than 50 airlines to accept shared tracking links. Meanwhile, SITA reported that using Share Item Location has led to a 26 percent drop in baggage delays and a 90 percent reduction in permanently lost luggage.
To address privacy worries, Apple says AirTags don’t actually keep any location history on the device. Everything sent through the Find My network is end-to-end encrypted, and Apple claims not even it can see which devices help track an item or where they are.
The new AirTag keeps its user-replaceable battery, which typically lasts more than a year. It’s available starting today at the same prices as before: $29 for one or $99 for a four-pack with free personalized engraving offered through Apple’s website and Apple Store locations.
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