If your AirTag can’t connect to your iPhone, you may think you have a lemon. It’s possible you have a hardware issue on your hands, but in all likelihood you should be able to fix the problem on your own in seconds.
Over the years, we’ve seen and received complaints from AirTag owners who say the accessory can’t connect to their iPhone. It’s a fairly common problem, especially during setup.
It can also be a problem if you bought or received a used AirTag because the person who previously owned it should’ve reset it.
If your AirTag’s having issues connecting to your iPhone, here are some steps you can take to alleviate the issue. If none of these fixes work, you’ll need to search for another solution or get in touch with Apple support.
Restart iPhone
If your iPhone fails to recognize your AirTag, try restarting your iPhone. You may also want to try hard resetting your iPhone if a simple reboot doesn’t work.
Make Sure the AirTag is Within Range
Make sure both devices are powered on and the AirTag is within range of your iPhone. Bring the AirTag to within 30 feet and see if it connects.
Check Apple ID
Now, ensure your iPhone is currently signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID you used to set up the AirTag.
Check Bluetooth
Your AirTag communicates with your iPhone via Bluetooth so make sure Bluetooth is toggled on. You can find the Bluetooth toggle in the Settings app on your iPhone.
You can try toggling Bluetooth off and then on to see if that jumpstarts the connection.
Reset All Settings
If none of those solutions work, try resetting all of the settings on your iPhone. This doesn’t delete any data, it simply restores your iPhone’s settings to their default position.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
- Enter your passcode if you have one.
How to Reset AirTag
If it still won’t connect, you may need to reset your AirTag.
Remember, an AirTag can only be associated with one Apple ID. So if you got your AirTag from another user, you need to ensure they removed their Apple ID from the accessory.
If the previous user of the AirTag removed their Apple ID from the accessory while out of Bluetooth range of the AirTag, then you have to reset it before you can use it with your iPhone.
Here’s how to reset an AirTag:
- Push down on the steel battery cover of the AirTag.
- Rotate counterclockwise until the cover stops rotating.
- Now, remove the cover and the battery.
- Replace the battery.
- Push down on the battery until you hear a sound.
- After the sound stops, repeat the process four more times, removing and replacing the battery, then pressing down on the battery until you hear a sound.
- The fifth sound will be different from the four others and it means the AirTag is now ready to pair.
- Now, replace the cover by aligning the three tabs on the cover with the three slots on the AirTag.
- Push down on the cover.
- Rotate the cover clockwise until it stops rotating.
Try connecting your AirTag to your iPhone.
