Multiple AirTags? (Add to Multiple Devices, Wi-Fi Needed)


Apple’s AirTag may be one of the latest entries into the market, but it has already gained traction among users. Although it is a tiny device, it is quite helpful for daily tasks, and many want to get their hands on one. If you are a massive fan of how it works, you must have some pressing questions, some that this article will address.  

So, can you have more than one AirTag? You can register a maximum of sixteen AirTags under your Apple ID. However, you cannot link any other AirTag to your phone when you reach the threshold since the system will prevent it, and it cannot recognize any other AirTag in the same way that the AirTag will not connect to multiple devices.

Despite the compact design, the AirTag is one of the handiest gadgets, especially for pretty forgetful people or those who don’t want to waste time looking for items. Therefore, it is understandable to want more than one AirTag to serve different purposes.

The good news is that you can connect a maximum of sixteen AirTags to one Apple account or device. It means that you have enough of them to attach to all your precious belongings and track their whereabouts.

The account will immediately fail to recognize any other AirTag past the limit. If you want to locate another object, the only workaround is to substitute the tags, removing them from one item to another.

An AirTag costs only $29 and goes a long way to help you keep tabs on your most precious belongings. Therefore, it warrants the need to have multiple of them for use on various items that you tend to misplace.

You will be glad to know that Apple has specially designed it such that sixteen of them can work with a single ID. Thus, you can attach them to everything you need as long as you don’t exceed the limit.

Besides, it is cheaper to buy a four-pack than to purchase one at a time. Four AirTags cost only $99, which is better than buying one at a time. Apple has also improved the gadget’s features and battery life.

It shows exact locations given the in-built chip, and it has more value since a battery can last a year before you have to replace it. Since there is a maximum limit on how many users can have, you can always swap AirTags and place them on different items.

Can You Add AirTag To Multiple Devices?

An AirTag’s primary role is to help you locate essential personal items, but a follow-up question among new users is what happens in the case of shared possessions. Perhaps you live with your family or a roommate and want to place it on the house keys. You may wonder, can the AirTag connect to several devices at a go?

AirTags cannot connect to more than one device, only the initial registered account. Apple has not yet included a “Family Sharing” feature like other capabilities, although it may be a brilliant idea for users who share some items and want to use AirTags.

The intention behind this gadget is to make it for personal use, such that it is only accessible by one user. Apple insists on user privacy and making the AirTag available for different devices may violate that.

The sharing feature is one of the most frequently asked questions by prospective AirTag users. You want to attach it to an item that many people use and give everyone the chance to track its position; however, it is not possible.

The AirTag is a personal device only for use with one account at a time. You can have a maximum of sixteen tags, but they will all connect to a single Apple ID. Therefore, in the case of a family, only one person can locate a missing tagged item.

Apple has not yet included family sharing in the AirTag, unlike other services like Tile. However, the company allows access with more than one device for Apple Music, Apple News+, iTunes, Apple Music, and many others.

AirTag is yet to follow suit and restricts access by any other account, regardless of how close you are to another person, not even a family member. You may understand the reason behind this if you take a closer look at how the device operates.

Apple limits the accessibility of an AirTag to one person, account, and device, meaning that no other party can locate your items through another iPhone. Only you, as the owner, have exclusive rights.

The sole purpose is to maintain the users’ privacy. Since they help locate personal and sensitive items, you may not want other people to have the same information. Moreover, allowing sharing leaves the gadgets vulnerable to access by malicious users.

Suppose someone takes your wallet with an AirTag and has an iPhone. In that case, they will see a notification from their device stating “AirTag Detected” or a report about an unknown accessory around.

Besides notifying you about your items’ location, Apple also has a feature to tell other iPhone users about the presence of another AirTag. Apple will label an unregistered AirTag as “unknown” unless under your Apple ID.

If you want to lend out a tagged item to a friend or family for some time, they can disable the AirTag from their end to stop the alerts. They can go to the Find My app and scroll to the Me icon below before turning off the safety alerts and finally clicking disable.

This process also applies to suspicious AirTags that you find in your bag or car. Malicious users tend to track unsuspecting people but disabling it shuts it down.

Does AirTag Need Wi-Fi?

Apple’s tracking device is gaining a massive following thanks to its effectiveness and excellent performance in helping individuals find misplaced or lost items. Most applications from the company use the internet when connecting with other iDevices. You may wonder whether the same applies to the AirTag; is it an online or offline app?

AirTag doesn’t need Wi-Fi to run or communicate with other Apple devices near it. AirTag strictly uses Bluetooth to tether and register to the phone. However, if the tracking gadget isn’t within the range where it can link with your iPhone, the iDevice user who finds it will need data to scan the device and find the owner’s details.

At approximately a hundred-meter distance, the AirTag can link to your device and beep for you to locate it. In contrast, if you want to get the precise location, you can use the “Find My” app, which requires an internet connection.

If you are using an AirTag within a small area where Bluetooth is in range, your phone will connect and ring to help you locate whatever you need, and the sound will be loud enough for you to hear.

In this case, you don’t need an internet connection as your AirTag strictly uses Bluetooth waves to link to a nearby Apple device. Sometimes, the tracker may be beeping, but you cannot pinpoint its exact spot, which calls for the Find My app service.

This online application requires a strong internet connection to map AirTag’s exact position. Otherwise, if the object is within range, you can only use Bluetooth and avoid the finder app.

You can use the application to find all your tagged items from your iPhone; all you have to do is program the AirTag using one Apple ID. It is best to ensure that your Bluetooth is running as you try to link with the tag before going to the application, mainly if you have limited data.

After a successful set-up, its location will appear on the Find My” app whenever your phone’s data and location are on. If you register more than one tag, each of them will show a unique identity on the Find My. Hence, you will get an exact location of a tagged item when you click a particular identifier. 

AirTags do not have built-in navigation technology, making it hard to locate it without a Bluetooth-enabled iDevice nearby. It is the primary system it uses as a link for the Apple device owner to find it. The users worry about how secure it may be since any iPhone user can deploy their Bluetooth to find it.

Fortunately, the tag has special encryption, and no one can snoop over your data, although it is advisable to avoid using it in busy locations. This way, you will reduce the chances of malicious people finding your belongings.

Can You Transfer Your AirTag To Another Device?

Apple manufactured AirTag intending access with one device and one user and made it quite simple to pair with your gadget. Perhaps you have several AirTags and want to give out some, but you are worried it may not be possible. Here is what you should know.

You can transfer your AirTag to a different device with another Apple ID. You will need to reset and deregister the tracker from the current device first before attempting to move the tag. Apple barred sharing a single AirTag by many users, but they have given room for transfer, convenient for those who want to share the gadget. Currently, there is no news of Apple introducing a feature that would allow tag sharing, but hopefully, they may accommodate it in the future.

Apple discourages AirTag sharing with valid reasons. While one phone can function with various tags, each tag can link to a single iDevice at a time. Luckily, you can deregister the tracker and reset it, allowing you to connect it to another gadget.

When you unregister an AirTag from its old device, you remove it from the Find My app list. Secondly, by resetting it, you get rid of any data remaining in the gadget, leaving it as good as new, ready to subscribe to a different iPhone.

Once you remove the AirTag from the initial iDevice, it completely clears and doesn’t leave any record that you may use to locate it. The tag now links to a different Apple ID under the new owner’s control.

If you must lend someone an item with your finder working, their phones will detect the device, and notifications will keep popping. However, they can avoid this by disabling “Item Safety Features” on their end.

The safety alerts won’t appear anymore when they turn off the feature. On the other hand, it is simple to transfer the tag to another device through simple steps. First, remove the tracker from the original phone’s Find My app and ensure that your iPhone is within the Bluetooth range to read the tag. Next, click on Items to choose the device you want to unpair on the Find My app.

Go to the open window, swipe the screen to view the options, select Remove, and confirm to complete the action. Even if the unregistering phone is far from the available Bluetooth connection, you can proceed with the above processes despite not finding the tag.

However, for the gadget to function on the new phone, the user must reset the tracker first before using it. To reset it, you will have to press the battery cover while rotating it anticlockwise until it can’t move further.

Now, remove both the cover and the battery before inserting the dry cell by pressing it down until it clicks. Repeat the procedure four more times, and on the fifth try, the battery will sound different from the rest of the steps.

It means that the AirTag is fully factory reset to default settings and ready for use. Next, replace the battery cover and ensure that you align the terminals correctly, pressing as you rotate it clockwise until it locks firmly.

Finally

The AirTag is quite handy, and it helps that it is pretty easy to use since you only have to connect it to your iDevice’s Bluetooth. You may only need Wi-Fi if you use Find My to locate it when it’s far from the range. If you want to have more than one AirTag, you will be glad to know that you can connect a maximum of sixteen.

However, it doesn’t have a sharing feature, meaning that one AirTag cannot link to more than one device. The only workaround is to transfer ownership to another user. Therefore, it will reset and erase all the previous data and start afresh with a new account.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is a technology expert based in the UK, with experience across a number of technology areas from phones, tablets, computers to gaming.

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