Reconnect an AirTag by opening Find My and tapping the plus icon

When an AirTag stops showing up in Find My or says "No Location Found," you need to pair it again to your device. The fastest way is to open the Find My app, tap the plus icon in the top right corner, select "Add AirTag," and hold your iPhone or iPad near the AirTag until it chimes and shows a setup screen. Follow the prompts to name it and choose which Apple ID account it belongs to. The whole process takes about two minutes.

If the AirTag doesn't chime or respond, it may have a dead battery. Replace the CR2032 coin cell battery (the same type used in watches and calculators) and try again. You can buy these at any pharmacy, grocery store, or electronics retailer for a few dollars.

Reconnecting is different from the first time you set up an AirTag. You are not creating a new account or changing ownership — you are just telling your device to recognize the AirTag again after it lost the connection.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Find My, tap the plus icon, and select "Add AirTag" to start the reconnection process on your iPhone or iPad.
  • A dead CR2032 battery is the most common reason an AirTag stops responding, so replace it before troubleshooting anything else.
  • The AirTag should chime when your device detects it during setup; if it does not chime, move closer or check the battery again.
  • Reconnecting takes about two minutes and does not change the AirTag's name or which account owns it unless you choose to change those settings.

Why an AirTag loses its connection

An AirTag disconnects when the battery dies, when you reset it by holding the battery compartment button for 15 seconds, or when you remove it from your Find My account on purpose. It can also stop responding if your iPhone or iPad has not connected to it in a very long time and the AirTag's Bluetooth radio has gone to sleep.

The most common cause is a dead battery. AirTags use a standard CR2032 coin cell that lasts about one year with normal use. When the battery is low, Find My shows a low battery warning first. When it is completely dead, the AirTag will not respond to any pairing attempt.

If you recently reset the AirTag on purpose (by holding the button on the back of the battery compartment), you will need to pair it again. This is the same process as reconnecting after a dead battery.

Step-by-step reconnection on iPhone

Open the Find My app and look at the bottom of the screen. Tap the plus icon in the top right corner of the "Items" tab. A menu will appear with options including "Add AirTag." Tap that option.

Hold your iPhone close to the AirTag — within a few inches. The AirTag should chime and your iPhone screen should show a setup animation with a blue circle. If nothing happens, move closer or check that the battery is not dead. If the AirTag still does not respond, remove the battery, wait five seconds, and put it back in.

Once the setup screen appears, tap "Connect" and follow the prompts. You will be asked to name the AirTag (such as "Keys" or "Wallet") and choose which Apple ID it belongs to. If you want to keep the same name and account, you can skip these steps. Tap "Done" when finished.

Step-by-step reconnection on iPad

The process on iPad is identical to iPhone. Open Find My, tap the plus icon in the top right, and select "Add AirTag." Hold the iPad near the AirTag until it chimes and the setup screen appears.

One difference: if you have multiple Apple ID accounts on your iPad, make sure you are signed in to the account that should own the AirTag. You cannot pair an AirTag to a different account than the one currently active on your device. If you need to use a different account, sign out and sign back in with the correct Apple ID first.

What to do if the AirTag will not chime or respond

If you hold your device near the AirTag and nothing happens, the battery is almost certainly dead. Remove the small stainless steel battery compartment on the back by pressing down and turning it counterclockwise. Take out the old CR2032 battery and replace it with a new one, making sure the positive side (marked with a plus sign) faces up. Put the compartment back on and try pairing again.

If the AirTag still does not respond after a fresh battery, try resetting it. Press and hold the button on the back of the battery compartment for 15 seconds until you hear four chimes. Release the button. Now try pairing it again using Find My.

If the AirTag chimes during the reset but still will not pair, restart your iPhone or iPad. Hold down the power button until the "Slide to Power Off" screen appears, slide to turn it off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Then open Find My and try pairing again.

Reconnecting after you have removed the AirTag from your account

If you removed the AirTag from Find My on purpose — for example, because you were selling it or giving it away — you can pair it again to your account. The process is the same: open Find My, tap the plus icon, select "Add AirTag," and hold your device near it.

If someone else owns the AirTag and you are trying to pair it to your own account, that will not work. AirTags can only be paired to the Apple ID that owns them. If you received an AirTag from someone else, ask them to remove it from their account first, then you can pair it to yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I pair an AirTag to more than one device?

An AirTag belongs to one Apple ID account, but that account can be signed in on multiple devices. Once paired, the AirTag will show up in Find My on all of those devices. If you want to pair it to a different Apple ID, you must remove it from the current account first.

How do I know if my AirTag battery is dead?

Open Find My and look at the AirTag in your list. If it shows a low battery icon (a battery symbol with a minus sign), the battery is low but not dead yet. If it says "No Location Found" or does not appear in your list at all, the battery is likely dead. Replace the CR2032 and try pairing again.

Will reconnecting an AirTag erase its location history?

No. Reconnecting does not erase anything. The AirTag will continue to show its current location in Find My once it is paired again. Location history is not stored on the AirTag itself — it is stored on your device, so reconnecting will not affect it.

What if I forgot what I named my AirTag?

During reconnection, you can rename it to anything you want. If you want to keep the old name, you can skip the naming step and it will use the same name as before. You can also change the name later by opening Find My, tapping the AirTag, and selecting "Edit Name."

Do I need to reconnect my AirTag if I get a new iPhone?

If you sign in with the same Apple ID on your new iPhone, the AirTag will appear in Find My automatically — you do not need to pair it again. If you are using a different Apple ID on the new phone, you will need to pair it to that account.