Why is My AirTag Beeping? Here are 7 Troubleshooting Tips

AirTags are among the best product categories introduced by Apple. The fear of losing possession is significantly reduced if an AirTag is attached, making it all worthwhile. It’s evident that without a display, the most reliable form of signaling to you is through audio cues. However, it’s a bit challenging to interpret the beeps, especially when they’re beeping without any input.

A Beeping AirTag could indicate a variety of things, some even signaling critical alerts or posing a threat, requiring your immediate attention. Fret not; There are several ways to know the cause and fix a beeping AirTag. This article outlines seven ways to do so, alongside five reasons behind the cause. Stay tuned and read along to get your AirTag fixed.

Why is my AirTag Beeping?

The beeps signify a handful of things, some of which require your immediate attention. Here are the probable causes of a beeping AirTag –

The AirTag Is Ready To Pair With Your iPhone

This reason is straightforward – AirTags confirm their pairing status with an iPhone through audio cues. It’s a combination of two chimes: one before setting up the AirTag, indicating that the AirTag is ready to pair, and the second to confirm a successful connection with your iPhone. Of course, this distinct beep is to notify you of a successful pair and nothing alarming as such.

Low Battery Warning

AirTags emit audio cues to indicate low battery levels. If you hear a random periodic sound, it typically means the AirTag is running low on battery, and you should probably replace its battery at the earliest opportunity. Before performing the replacement, it’s recommended to check for low battery notifications or the AirTag’s battery level in the Find My app on your iPhone. The steps for replacing an AirTag’s battery are mentioned later in the article.

The AirTag Will Soon Be out of Bluetooth Range

Before getting disconnected from your iPhone, AirTag will sound to let you know that a possible disconnection is about to occur. After all, AirTags can stay connected only in a 30-meter or 100-foot radius of a connected iPhone in outdoor conditions, so hearing an audio cue often implies that either your AirTag or iPhone isn’t near the other. To put it another way, you have left behind an AirTag-connected possession or your iPhone. Disconnecting the connected iPhone’s Bluetooth is also a probable reason for a beeping AirTag.

The AirTag is Marked as Lost

AirTags rely on the universal network of iPhones to inform you of their location, even if they’re out of range. Simply put, an AirTag can detect others’ misplaced items if their owner has marked it as lost. It’s the same as someone else finding your item after you marked it as lost. In such cases, when you’ve marked an AirTag as lost, it will beep to let you and others know of its location. The lost AirTag will beep periodically to signal its location until it’s found.

An Unknown AirTag Is Following You

In the worst of cases, an AirTag can quite possibly save you from getting followed by signaling its presence through audio cues. Stalkers often place an AirTag or two in their target’s belongings, such as a bag or car, to track them. What makes it different from the previous cause is that the AirTags aren’t marked as lost. Alongside the beeping AirTag, which typically happens a few hours after it detects the absence of its owner, your iPhone will also notify you when an unknown AirTag is following you, provided it is in range.

Not just iPhones, Android devices can also notify you of the same. Your next immediate step should be to remove the battery, as elaborated in the next section. Furthermore, you should report the incident to local law enforcement officials and destroy it promptly.

How To Prevent an AirTag From Beeping?

Now that you know why your AirTag is beeping, here’s what you should do to stop it from doing so –

1. Remove the AirTag’s Battery or Replace It

If you find an unknown AirTag around you, your first move, as mentioned above, should be to remove the AirTag’s battery. To do so,

1. Flip the AirTag around to bring the stainless steel cover to the front.
2. Press and rotate the cover counterclockwise to pop it off.
3. Pull out the CR2032 battery cell.

Additionally, if your AirTag is low or out of battery, you can refer to the above steps to access the battery compartment and replace it with a new CR2032 cell. Ensure that it’s in the correct orientation, with the positive side of the cell facing outwards. Follow this by aligning the three tabs on the cover with the three slots on the AirTag and rotating the cover clockwise until it’s secure.

2. Keep AirTag Within Your iPhone’s Bluetooth Range

If your AirTag is beeping because it’s too far from your iPhone, you can stop it from doing so by bringing your AirTag and iPhone closer. As previously mentioned, an AirTag stays connected only when it’s within your iPhone’s Bluetooth connection range; after that, it starts beeping. The range varies from indoor to outdoor situations and is affected by obstacles such as walls and trees. Ideally, both your AirTag and iPhone should be a few feet away from each other.

3. Check Your iPhone’s Bluetooth Settings

AirTags, like all other object trackers, rely on Bluetooth technology to connect with an iPhone. Additionally, AirTags use ultra-wideband technology for their Precision Finding feature. While the latter is activated and deactivated automatically by the iPhone as needed, Bluetooth must be manually turned on and off. To check your iPhone’s Bluetooth settings –

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on Bluetooth settings.
3. Enable the toggle beside Bluetooth.

Your AirTag should detect the Bluetooth connection when in range and connect automatically, which should stop it from beeping.

4. Turn Off Lost Mode

It’s not uncommon for users to accidentally enable their AirTag’s lost mode, which causes it to beep continuously. While it happens to notify others about a lost AirTag who can help get it back to you, you can turn lost mode off in a few clicks if it was enabled unknowingly by following the steps below –

1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
2. Under Items, click on the section representing the “lost” AirTag.
3. Scroll down to Lost Mode and tap Enabled.
4. Select Turn Off Lost Mode on the next page and confirm your action by tapping Turn Off.

Your AirTag should stop beeping once lost mode is turned off.

5. De-Link AirTag From Apple Account and Re-Pair It

If your AirTag is misbehaving by beeping randomly, you can try the pairing process from scratch. It involves a few relatively uncomplicated steps as mentioned below –

1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
2. Under Items, tap on the desired AirTag.
3. Scroll down and click on Remove Item.
4. Confirm your action by selecting Remove from the subsequent warning pages.

Once it’s done, wait for a while and bring the AirTag closer to your iPhone again. Let your iPhone detect the AirTag, after which you can initiate the setup process again.

6. Perform a Manual Reset

Indeed, AirTags can be reset manually without having an iPhone around. You can use this method if you don’t have your iPhone nearby or are unable to pair it again via the Find My app. Follow the steps below to do so –

1. Flip the AirTag around to bring the stainless steel cover to the front.
2. Press and rotate the cover counterclockwise to pop it off.
3. Pull out the CR2032 battery cell.
4. Place the battery back in the correct orientation, with the positive side facing upwards, and press it down for five seconds. You should hear a chime, which signifies that the battery is connected successfully.
5. Remove the battery and repeat the process for a total of five times. The fifth chime should be different than the previous four, indicating that the AirTag is in pairing mode again.
6. Close the cover by aligning the three tabs on the cover with the three slots on the AirTag and rotating the cover clockwise until it stops.

After that, wait for a while and bring the AirTag closer to your iPhone again. Let your iPhone detect the AirTag, after which you can begin the setup process again.

7. Check for Firmware Updates

AirTags, like connected accessories, receive firmware updates to enhance their functionality by introducing new features and addressing existing issues. If you haven’t updated your AirTag in a while, we recommend checking and updating it. Unfortunately, AirTags are updated over the air, so there’s no way to check for a firmware update. An AirTag within the connected iPhone’s range is all that’s required for the firmware to be updated automatically.

Fix Beeping AirTags in a Jiffy

Setting aside the annoyance, a beeping AirTag can signify several things. While low battery or lost connection warnings aren’t as alarming, a beeping AirTag could indicate a lost item or that someone is tracking you using one, both of which require urgent action. However, when you do need to stop an AirTag from beeping, you can remove or replace its battery, bring it near the connected iPhone, turn off lost mode, check for Bluetooth abnormalities, reset it, or pair it again.

FAQs on Beeping AirTags

1. Why does my AirTag beep even when it’s near my iPhone?

If your AirTag is near your iPhone and still beeping, it signifies a few possible things. First, it could indicate a low battery warning, meaning the AirTag’s battery is running low and needs to be replaced. Second, if you are pairing your AirTag, the beeps mean a successful connection with your iPhone. Lastly, it could be because you may have accidentally marked the AirTag as lost in the Find My app.

2. I found an unknown beeping AirTag lying around. What should I do?

Unknown AirTags lying around you shouldn’t be overlooked under any circumstances. Provided it’s not someone’s lost AirTag, the only probable reason is that the AirTag is planted by someone to follow you. As your first step, remove the AirTag’s battery immediately by pressing and rotating the silver cap, then remove the battery. Furthermore, you must inform local law enforcement officials if you feel unsafe.

3. Why does my AirTag disconnect frequently even when it’s nearby?

It could be because of two reasons: a low battery or obstacles. An AirTag running low on battery is prone to frequent disconnections, and the only solution is to replace the battery. To do so, press and rotate the silver cap to remove the battery. Next, insert a new CR2032 battery, then close the cover by aligning the tabs and slots. Rotate it clockwise until it stops.

4. My AirTag is unable to pair with my iPhone. What should I do?

In such a case, we recommend performing a manual reset and pairing the AirTag again. To reset an AirTag, press and rotate the silver cap and remove the battery. Then, place the battery and press it till you hear a chime. Repeat this step four more times, until you hear the fifth chime, which will sound different from the rest of the four. Now, the AirTag is ready to be paired again, which you can do by bringing your iPhone near.

5. How do I update my AirTag?

Unfortunately, an AirTag cannot be updated manually. AirTags receive firmware updates over the air and are automatically updated when in range of their connected iPhone. If you often keep your AirTag away, consider bringing it near your iPhone and waiting for a while for the update to install automatically.