How to Reset AirTag to Pair With a New Apple ID

Apple AirTags attach to all sorts of things—your keys, your purse, your luggage, even your pet’s collar—but for all their versatility as tiny tracking devices, AirTags can only be linked to one Apple ID at a time. This is fine if you’re the only one using the AirTag, and it makes it harder for anyone to steal or counterfeit the devices, but it does mean you’ll need to remove the AirTag from your Apple ID and reset it before it can be used with someone else. check.

Removing and resetting AirTag using the Find My app

The fastest way to reset your AirTag is to remove it from your Apple ID in the Find My app. This is a simple process and can be done remotely, but it’s best to make sure the AirTag is in Bluetooth range when you remove it, as you won’t need to do any additional steps.

1. Open the Find My app on iOS or iPad, or sign into iCloud through your computer’s browser and select the Find My app.

2. Select the AirTag you want to delete from the Items tab. The map will focus on the AirTag location.

3. Swipe up to show more menu options, then select Remove Item.

4. Select Delete when prompted to confirm.

After removing the AirTag from your Apple ID, it can now be associated with another account. However, if you can’t remove the AirTag from your account while it’s in Bluetooth range, you’ll also need to reset it manually using the steps in the next section before anyone else can use it.

How to manually reset an unpaired AirTag

Resetting the AirTag manually is only necessary if the AirTag was not in Bluetooth range when you removed it from your Apple ID account. This is a quick process, but it requires following certain instructions.

Please note that you can only reset your AirTag manually after removing it from your AppleID using the instructions above. Trying to manually reset an AirTag that is still associated with someone’s account will get you nowhere. This is to prevent someone from stealing and discarding an AirTag that belongs to someone else.

Once the AirTag is removed from the Apple ID, you will perform a reset. The first step is to remove the AirTag battery cover:

1. Press down on the metal part of the AirTag while rotating it counterclockwise until the cover stops rotating, then lift the cover. Be sure to put it in a safe place so you don’t lose it.

Next, you need to remove and insert the battery several times in a certain way:

1. Remove the battery, wait a moment, then reinsert it.

2. Press the battery until you hear a sound.

3. After the sound plays, repeat these steps four more times (for a total of five times). The fifth sound will be different from the previous four, so listen carefully to make sure you have completed this process enough times.

After you have played the sound five times, close the battery door, again making sure you have completed all of the following steps:

1. Make sure the three tabs on the battery cover line up with the grooves on the AirTag.

2. Press the lid until you hear a sound.

3. Turn the cap clockwise until it stops rotating.

Your AirTag has now been reset and you can associate it with your new Apple ID.

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