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You’re not sure why your new ‘Apple AirTag Not Working’. You’re trying to find the thing you tagged, but the Find My app doesn’t show it. In this article, I’ll tell you what to do if your Apple AirTags aren’t working. These fixes work for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod! Apple’s latest addition to the Find My ecosystem is AirTags. AirTags are small discs that are powered by Bluetooth and can be stuck on things.
When you put an AirTag on something, you can use the Find My app to always know where that thing is. You can use the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Mac to find an item with an AirTag that you’ve lost. AirTags also have a built-in speaker that can play a sound if you need help finding something you’ve lost.
Fix: ‘Apple AirTag Not Working’ Issue On iPhone/iPad: Best 9 Ways
Disable and enable iPhone Bluetooth
- Go to Settings and tap Bluetooth.
Do not use Control Center for this. - Turn off Bluetooth.
- After 30 seconds, turn it back on.
Update latest iOS version
Soon after releasing iOS 14.5, Apple released iOS 14.5.1. This includes several bug fixes. Typically, after a new product is launched, you might see frequent software updates, and each of them addresses bugs, glitches, and problems the users face.
To make sure that AirTag works correctly, open iPhone Settings → tap General → Software Update. If you have an update available, tap Download and Install or Install Now (if it was already downloaded.)
Remove AirTag and re-connect
- Open Find My on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap Items at the bottom row.
- Tap your AirTag (it may be keys, bag, or the name you had set).
- Next, tap Remove Item → Remove.
Take out and reinsert the AirTag battery
- Press down the AirTag’s back stainless steel cover.
- While pushing down, rotate it counterclockwise (right to left) until it stops rotating further.
- Now, pull the back cover and take out the battery.
- While reinserting, make sure the positive (+) side is up.
- Press down the battery until you hear a sound that confirms the battery is placed correctly.
- Now, put the cover back and rotate it clockwise (left to right) to secure it
Reset AirTag
Resetting an AirTag can sometimes help fix the problem. To reset, take out and put back in the battery five times. This means that you will hear the sound that says the battery was put in correctly five times.
But you have to keep track of the count and do it accurately. If you don’t, you’ll have to start over, which can be very annoying. For more information, you can look at our guide on how to reset an AirTag.
Check Wi-Fi or cellular data connection
Make sure you are connected to strong Wi-Fi or cellular data. Open Safari or YouTube and play a video. If it plays smoothly at a good quality, this means your connection is decent. If not, head over to these guides and fix your Wi-Fi or mobile data issues.
Make Sure You Aren’t Using Managed Apple ID
Apple makes it clear that you can’t set up an AirTag on an iOS or iPadOS device with a Managed Apple ID. So, if your iPad or iPhone won’t connect to an AirTag, make sure your device meets this requirement.
For those who don’t know, Managed Apple IDs can be made for students by schools or colleges to make learning easier. They are different from your regular Apple ID and are specific to each organisation. Visit the Apple Support page to learn more about Managed Apple IDs and how they work.
Turn Off/ On Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Cellular Network
Turning on or off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and your cellular network is another thing you should do to fix the AirTag not working problem. Since they are so important to how well AirTag works, any slowness in iOS 14 or problems with how they work could be why AirTag can’t connect to your device.
Press and hold the volume up/down button and the power button at the same time to restart an iPhone or iPad with Face ID. Then, drag the power-off slider to turn off your device. Then, to restart the device, press and hold the power button. To turn off your iPhone or iPad with Touch ID, press the power button and slide the power-off switch. Now, press and hold the power button to turn the device back on.
Reset Network Settings
Wi-Fi, cellular data, and Bluetooth must all work right for the AirTag to work as expected. If they are having problems, it will be hard for the item tracker to connect or work as planned. So, if you still can’t get your AirTag to work, try resetting your network settings.
Go to your iPhone or iPad’s Settings app and tap on General. Now, go to the bottom of the page and click Reset. Next, tap Reset Network Settings. Then, enter the passcode for your device and click Reset Network Settings again. That should fix any other network problems, which could help if your AirTag isn’t working or can’t connect to your device.
If you know more details about this, than you can check on official website.
FAQ
Can AirTag be used for stalking?
Sadly, that’s true. Apple has released a software update that makes sound notifications happen more often. This is to stop unwanted tracking. If an AirTag is separated from its paired device for more than eight hours, it will make a 15-second warning sound. In the same way, you might get a message when an unknown AirTag is found nearby.
Both of these security measures make it harder to follow someone, but they can’t stop it. One thing is that if the paired device is briefly near the AirTag, the eight-hour warning timer starts over. Also, Android users can’t get alerts about tracking they don’t want.
Can you share AirTags with family members or multiple devices?
No, your family members can’t use your AirTag because it can only be linked to one Apple ID. You must first disconnect your AirTag from your Apple ID if you want to give it to a family member or friend.
The good news is that AirTags can be used with more than one device. iPhones and iPads with iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later can be used to track AirTags. But make sure you use the same Apple ID to sign in to all of your devices.
What to do if AirTag firmware is not updating?
You might want to install a new AirTag update for many reasons, like fixing pairing problems or making it safer against stalkers. You can’t force the firmware update to happen, though. If the software on your AirTag won’t update, all you can do is wait.
Put the AirTag within range of your iPhone so that the latest firmware update can be installed as soon as it comes out. Also, make sure the iPhone is always charged and that Wi-Fi is turned on.