"Wait," I told a friend after watching her almost toss an AirTag into the trash, "you can replace the battery." You aren't alone if you use AirTags to track your equipment and other stuff. I love Apple's AirTags. If you've tossed an AirTag when the battery ran out, you aren't alone there either, but don't toss your AirTags; replace the battery instead.
Let me back up a few steps and explain why I love my AirTags. Apple AirTags are small, coin-shaped tracking devices introduced by Apple Inc. in April 2021. I use mine to track bags, bikes, and other gear, but my friends added a chapter to my Using Tech To Track Your Kids Going Back To School post because they use AirTags to know where their kids and their stuff wander off.
Key Features of Apple AirTags:
Precision Finding Integrated with iPhones and iPads, especially those with the U1 chip (iPhone 11 and later), Precision Finding gives the exact distance and direction of your lost stuff.
Visual & Audible Feedback AirTags provide real-time feedback, guiding them to their misplaced item.
Contact Information When an AirTag is in Lost Mode, anyone with an NFC-capable device can tap the AirTag to see your contact information.
Privacy and Security Your location data and history are private and anonymous, even to Apple.
Design and Accessories Free engraving, including text and a selection of 31 emojis, is part of a range of accessories, like key rings and loops, to help attach your AirTags to almost anything and everything.
Battery Life and Water Resistance AirTags have a user-replaceable CR2032 (watch) battery that lasts a year. They are resistant to water and dust.
AirTags are part of Apple's Find My network, a large, anonymous, and encrypted network that helps users find their Apple phones, laptops, and pads. Use the Find My app on your iOS gear to set up and manage AirTags.
Dog collar AirTag from ValentineForYou on Etsy.