Yes, AirTag makes noise when you activate detection in Find My, when it’s away from a connected device for 8-24 hours, or when the device is moving with another Apple device.
The common problem is that AirTag may be making noise if it isn’t near the device with your Apple ID for some time. That feature is added for 2 reasons: to help you find the lost item or to notify other people that another AirTag is moved with them. The one problem here is that you may share the items with other people, and it’s not convenient that they start beeping. And here’s what to know to fix this.
Why AirTags may make noise?
AirTag may make noise if you activate Find My to help you find the AirTag and the item it’s attached to. So, AirTag can emit a sound to guide you to its location.
AirTags aren’t designed to be used with pets or children; they’re intended to be used only with items. So when you’re using them with pets, you’re not using them the right way, and AirTags may be beeping to indicate that the item they’re tracking (your cat or dog) is moving without you, which means that it’s lost.
If an AirTag is separated from its owner’s device for an extended period and is detected moving with someone else, it will produce a sound. This serves as an anti-stalking measure, alerting individuals of an unfamiliar AirTag in their vicinity. So, your AirTag may be beeping when you, for example, ask someone else to take a walk with your dog for which you’re using the AirTag.
Also, your AirTag will beep if it’s away from the device it’s paired with for a random interval of time between 8-24 hours. Previously, this interval was 3 days, but Apple changed it about 2 years ago.
There are also other cases why AirTag may be beeping: during the initial setup, signaling successful pairing, and when the battery is replaced.
What are Apple AirTag sound types?
You can watch this video to listen to the different sounds your Apple AirTag may make:
Here’s a table of AirTag sounds and their description:
| Sound Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Welcome Chime (Soft Ripple) | Plays during the initial setup, indicating the AirTag is ready for pairing. |
| Setup Completion Chime | A distinct sound that plays once the AirTag has been successfully paired with an Apple device. |
| Find My Sound (Repeating Sound) | Activated when a user tries to locate the AirTag using the Find My app, guiding the user to its location. |
| Unknown AirTag Alert (Fast Ripples or Chirp-like Sound) | Produced when an AirTag not paired with your device is moving with you, alerting you of its presence. |
| Battery Replacement Chime | Plays after successfully replacing the AirTag's battery, confirming proper installation. |
| Lost Mode Alert | Produced when the "Lost Mode" is activated, signaling when someone interacts with the item the AirTag is attached to. |
How Apple AirTag works
From a technical point of view, AirTag works extremely simple. That’s a Bluetooth-connected beacon, so its range is limited to the range of Bluetooth, that’s around 30 feet. It has no GPS or Wi-Fi, and it can send data only when connected to another Apple device via Bluetooth. However, if your AirTag is away from your iPhone or other connected device, it will work via Find My. Each time AirTag finds another iPhone, it will connect to it and send information to the Find My network to refresh the actual data. That’s how it works if it’s away from your iPhone and can’t connect to it via Bluetooth.
This way, it will start playing the sound if it’s far away from your iPhone for security measures (anti-stalking measures). Initially, AirTag started playing sound after 3 days away from your iPhone, but privacy and stalking concerns forced Apple to make this time interval shorter, currently, it varies from 8 to 24 hours away from you.
While this feature is useful to prevent stalking and other shady actions, it’s also may be a problem if you’re sharing an item with AirTag for someone else. It may start beeping, and that’s something people don’t like. But there’s a way to disable the AirTag sound.
Can you disable AirTag sound?
The most common reason why AirTag may be making sounds (except the setting up process) is the safety alerts. Originally, they were designed to prevent stalking, and that’s a good solution. But that doesn’t take into account one thing: you may share something with an attached AirTag, so it may start making noise. For example, when you share your bag, keys, or other items with your family or friends.
You can disable the AirTag noise in two ways. The first one is to disable the alerts after the third-party AirTag is detected near you. Here’s how:
- Go to Find My or tap on the pop-up notification about AirTag found moving with you.
- You will see the notification that another AirTag is moving with you; here, you need to tap on Continue.
- Tap on Pause Safety Alerts.
The second option is for your AirTag to disable it from beeping if it can’t connect to another Apple device. For example, if another person who takes the item with your AirTag has no Apple device to Pause Safety Alerts. Here’s how:
- Open Find My and go to the Me tab (the very left icon on the bottom bar).
- Here, toggle off Item Safety Alerts.
This way, your AirTag will make no sound if it’s away from the connected device for a long time, but still, it will make a sound if moving with another person who has an Apple device to let them know that third-party AirTag is moving with them. So, to disable the sound of AirTag that isn’t added to your items list, you need to use the first solution.
Can you change the AirTag sound?
No, you can’t change the AirTag sounds. They’re pre-defined by Apple, and you have no option to manage them. The only way you have is to disable its sound, as I described above. Also, you can make your AirTag to Play Sound, which will help you find the lost item. You can do this from Find My; just go to Items, choose the item you want to play sound for and tap on Play Sound.
