How to Reset an AirTag to Pair With a New Apple ID | Lifehacker


Apple AirTags connect to all types of issues—your keys, purse, baggage, even your pet’s collar—however for all their versatility as tiny monitoring units, AirTags can solely be related to one Apple ID at a time. That’s effective in the event you’re the one one utilizing the AirTag, and makes it troublesome for somebody to steal or tamper with the units, but it surely means that you must take away the AirTag out of your Apple ID and reset it earlier than it may be used with one other account.

Remove and reset an AirTag utilizing the Find My app

The quickest approach to reset an AirTag is to take away it out of your Apple ID within the Find My app. It’s a easy course of and could be performed remotely, but it surely’s greatest to verify the AirTag is inside Bluetooth vary when it is eliminated, since you will not must carry out any extra steps.

  1. Open the Find My app on iOS or iPad, or signal into iCloud through your pc’s browser and choose the Find My app

  2. Select the AirTag you wish to take away from the Items tab. The map will middle on the AirTag’s location.

  3. Swipe as much as present extra choices on the menu, then choose “Remove Item.”

  4. Select “Remove” when prompted to verify.

After the AirTag is eliminated out of your Apple ID, it may now be paired with a special account. However, if you’re unable to take away the AirTag out of your account whereas it is in Bluetooth vary, you then’ll additionally must reset it manually utilizing the steps within the subsequent part earlier than anybody else can use it.

How to manually reset an unpaired AirTag

Manually resetting an AirTag is simply mandatory if the AirTag was not in Bluetooth vary if you eliminated it out of your Apple ID account. It’s a fast course of however requires you to comply with particular directions. 

Note you could solely manually reset an AirTag after eradicating it out of your AppleID utilizing the directions above. Trying to manually reset an AirTag that is nonetheless related to somebody’s account will not do something. This is to forestall somebody from stealing and resetting an AirTag that belongs to another person. 

Once the AirTag is faraway from the Apple ID, you carry out the reset. The first step is to take away the AirTag’s battery cowl:

  1. Press down on the steel a part of the AirTag whereas rotating it counterclockwise, and switch it till the quilt stops rotating, then raise off the quilt. Be positive to place this someplace protected so you do not lose it.

Next, that you must take away and reinsert the battery in a particular method a number of occasions: 

  1. Take out the battery, wait a second, then reinsert it.

  2. Press down on the battery till you hear a sound.

  3. After the sound performs, repeat these steps 4 extra occasions (for a complete of 5 occasions). The fifth sound might be totally different than the earlier 4, so pay attention fastidiously to verify you have carried out the method sufficient occasions.

Once you’ve performed the sound 5 occasions, exchange the battery cowl, once more ensuring you comply with every of the next steps:

  1. Make positive the battery cowl’s three tabs line up with the slots on the AirTag.

  2. Press down on the quilt till you hear a sound.

  3. Turn the quilt clockwise till it stops rotating.

Your AirTag is now reset, and you’ll pair it with a brand new Apple ID.