Apple Releases Second AirTag 2 Firmware Update, Keeps Details Under Wraps

How AirTag Firmware Updates Work (and How to Check Yours)

You can't manually press a button to update your AirTag. Like all AirTag firmware updates, version 3.0.49 is delivered automatically and wirelessly over a period of several weeks. The update installs when your AirTag is within Bluetooth range of its paired iPhone, which must be running iOS 14.5 or later . There is no official way to force the update to happen sooner.

To see which firmware version your AirTag 2 is running, you need to check the Find My app :

1. Open the Find My app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Items tab at the bottom.
3. Select your AirTag from the list.
4. Tap the name of your AirTag just below its battery status. The serial number and current firmware version will be displayed.

AirTag 2: A Quick Backgrounder

Apple announced the second-generation AirTag on January 26, 2026, with online orders starting that day and in-store availability beginning later that week . Pricing remained unchanged from the original model at $29 for a single AirTag and $99 for a pack of four .

The major hardware upgrades over the 2021 original are focused on range and sound, powered by Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip :

• Extended Precision Finding: The range for the directional arrow that guides you to your lost item is increased by up to 50% compared to the first-generation model .
• Louder Speaker: A redesigned internal speaker is 50% louder, making it easier to hear a pinging AirTag from a greater distance .
• The device retains the same IP67 water and dust resistance rating and user-replaceable CR2032 coin-cell battery as its predecessor .

The Stalking Controversy Looms Over Every Update

The context of this firmware update is inseparable from the mounting legal pressure Apple faces over AirTag misuse. While designed to find lost keys, the $29 trackers have been widely documented as tools for stalkers to track victims without consent .

As of May 2026, Apple is confronting over 30 individual lawsuits from people who claim they were stalked using AirTags . These filings followed the failure of an earlier class-action case, Hughes v. Apple, to achieve class certification . The lawsuits uniformly allege that Apple released the AirTag knowing it could be dangerous and has not implemented adequate safeguards to prevent abuse . In response to the sustained controversy, Apple has iterated on anti-stalking features over time, including unwanted-tracking alerts and the Precision Finding sound update delivered in the previous AirTag 2 firmware . Given this backdrop, each new firmware update is scrutinized for any silent security enhancements aimed at making the devices harder to misuse.