10 Things to Know About the Apple AirTag 2

So it's been already 5 years? Really? My Airtag is still with me until this day, either on my keys. my wallet or my suitcase but I guess a crucial upgrade was surely needed. Apple dropped yesterday its second gen and at first glance, you might think nothing has changed. It’s still that same silver-and-white puck we’ve grown to love (or lose). But crack it open, and the AirTag 2 is a different beast entirely.

From massive range boosts to wrist-based tracking, here is the lowdown on Apple's latest "invisible" upgrade.

The biggest change is the leap to Apple’s second-gen Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip. This is the same silicon inside the iPhone 17 and latest Apple Watches. It translates to Precision Finding that works from 1.5x further away. If you're hunting for keys buried in a couch two rooms over, this is a game-changer.

Apple has cranked the volume by 50%. This serves two purposes: finding your luggage in a noisy airport is easier, and it's a huge win for privacy. It’s now much harder for someone to hide a tracker in a car or bag without the victim hearing it.

Finally! You no longer have to pull out your iPhone to find your wallet. If you own an Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 (or later), the Precision Finding arrow now appears right on your wrist. It feels like a small sci-fi moment every time you use it.

Interestingly, the AirTag 2 is 7% heavier than the original, weighing in at 11.8 grams. This is likely due to the revamped internal design and the beefier speaker assembly.

If you’re trying to tell them apart, look at the back. The text on the second-gen model is now in all-capital letters. It also explicitly lists the IP67 rating, NFC, and Find My support—details that were missing from the first version's backplate.

Resetting the device has become a bit more... tedious. You now have to remove the battery, wait five seconds, and repeat the process four times. Apple says it can take up to 12 seconds to hear that final "it's reset" tone.

You can't use these with your "vintage" devices. The AirTag 2 requires iOS 26.2.1. If your iPhone can't run the latest software, this tracker won't even show up in your Find My app.

Taking a cue from recent software updates, the AirTag 2 fully supports Item Location Sharing. This is specifically designed for air travel, allowing you to share a temporary link with airline staff to help them track down your missing suitcase.

Despite thousands of people using them for dogs, Apple’s official stance remains: "for tracking objects, not people or pets." This likely has more to do with liability than technical capability, but the warning remains on the box.

In a rare move, Apple kept the price at $29 (or $99 for a four-pack). They even kept the free engraving, so you can still put your favorite emoji on the back of your gear.