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Apple finally introduced the AirTags earlier this week. Now the company has released some technical details and explained, among other things, how many trackers can be linked to each Apple ID.
AirTags were first discovered in the summer of 2019 thanks to an early beta of iOS 13. Since then, numerous rumors and leaks have been documented. Now the time has finally come - fans of the Apple ecosystem can now lose important items without worry, right? Well - we should still look after our stuff. Whatever. As a reminder: With Apple AirTags, users can track important things such as keys, wallets, backpacks, luggage and much more. If an item is lost, it can be tracked thanks to the Find My Network, which consists of hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. Now Apple has given further details. The YouTuber Rene Ritchie had the opportunity to talk to Kaiann Drance, VP of iPhone Worldwide Marketing at Apple, and Ron Huang, Senior Director of Sensing and Connectivity at Apple, about AirTags, their features, design, and privacy.
Maximum of 16 AirTags per Apple ID
The interview covers much of the same topic as another interview, which the two executives gave to Fast Company, contains a few more important details. Apple will offer a single AirTag for 35 euros and a pack of four for 119 euros. Most customers will want to track their keys, wallets and backpacks and will not need more than four. But if you need more, you should also know the limit. The maximum number of AirTags that can be linked to a single Apple ID is limited to 16. Kaiann Drance confirmed this. However, he did not give a reason for this limitation.
The battery is weak? We will be notified
As explained in a previous article, AirTags have a removable coin cell battery that Apple says can last up to a year. AirTags don't have a screen or light, so it's hard to tell when the battery is low and needs replacing. As Ritchie revealed in his interview, the iPhone will alert the user when the battery is running low. What remains unclear, however, is what specific threshold the battery needs to reach before a warning is displayed. However, it's safe to assume that the AirTag still has enough battery left that the owner can buy and replace it before it runs out completely. In some cases, users may want to share their car keys with a friend or family member who happens to have an AirTag attached to it.
Sharing AirTags with friends and family
Normally, the AirTags security feature would kick in and alert the person that an unknown tracking device is attached to them. Apple's way of preventing this is Family Sharing. As Kaiann Drance explains, if an AirTag is shared with an Apple ID within Family Sharing, the owner can disable the security alerts to prevent their family or friends' iPhones from recognizing the device as unwanted tracking. In cases where an AirTag is borrowed from someone who is not in Family Sharing, the owner can temporarily disable the security alerts. Anyone interested in the small trackers can pre-order them directly from Apple in this country from April 23rd at 2 p.m. Are you looking for suitable AirTag cases? Then take a look at Amazon. Offers from various third-party providers are already online - enjoy browsing. (Image: Apple)
