Apple pushed a firmware update to the AirTag 2, its second-generation Bluetooth item tracker, shortly after the device reached consumers.
The update arrives as Apple works to address longstanding privacy concerns tied to its tracking hardware.
The Device
The AirTag 2 is a small, coin-shaped tag that pairs with an iPhone to help users locate lost items such as keys, bags, and wallets. It uses Apple’s Find My network — a mesh of hundreds of millions of Apple devices — to relay location data back to the owner.
Apple released the original AirTag in April 2021. The second generation followed years later with hardware upgrades Apple said improve both range and precision.
The Stalking Problem
The original AirTag drew scrutiny almost immediately after launch. Law enforcement agencies and domestic abuse advocates reported that people were using the devices to track others without their knowledge or consent.
Reuters and other outlets documented cases in which AirTags were placed in vehicles, bags, and coat pockets to monitor targets covertly.
Apple responded by rolling out a series of software changes to the original AirTag. The company shortened the time before an unknown AirTag alerts the person being tracked, and it added audio alerts that cause the device to chime sooner when separated from its owner.
Even so, critics said those measures remained insufficient. Several U.S. lawmakers called on Apple to do more, and at least one class-action lawsuit targeted the company over alleged stalking enabled by its hardware.
Regulatory and Industry Pressure
In May 2023, Apple and Google jointly submitted a draft specification to the Internet Engineering Task Force — the body that sets voluntary technical standards for the internet — proposing a common industry standard for unwanted tracking alerts across all Bluetooth tracker brands.
The specification aimed to ensure that any Bluetooth tracker, regardless of manufacturer, would trigger alerts on both iOS and Android devices. Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, and others backed the proposal.
Google confirmed it incorporated the standard into Android in 2024.
Find My Network Scale
Apple has not disclosed the exact number of devices participating in its Find My network. Still, analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence have estimated the total active Apple device install base above one billion units globally, each of which can passively relay AirTag location signals.
That density gives Apple’s tracker a detection and location range that smaller, standalone networks from competitors cannot match in most markets.
Firmware Updates
Apple delivers AirTag firmware updates automatically over the air. Owners cannot manually trigger an install — the device must be within Bluetooth range of a paired iPhone, and the update applies in the background.
Apple does not publish detailed release notes for AirTag firmware in the same way it does for iOS. The company typically confirms new firmware versions through its support pages after deployment begins.
The AirTag 2 launched running a newer base firmware version than the original model shipped with, reflecting the hardware and software changes Apple built into the second-generation design from the outset.
