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Battery low after 3 months

Tricky22 said:
I have four apple tags, and am constantly getting "low battery", but when I take the back off and put it back on the message goes..

Do the back cases come lose ?

is there a preferred battery brand??
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You might want to check if the batteries you're using has a layer of bitterant near the battery connection point/contact interfering.

FWIW I have no issue with Panasonic CR2032s in my tags.
 
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Like mentioned its typically the child safety bitter coating. It can add enough electrical resistance that when it's pinging iPhones the battery level drops to its low battery alert level. You can clean its off with isopropyl alcohol.
 
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JPack said:
Unless you ran the speaker many times, you probably got really old stock. The battery typically lasts at least a year.
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Just wondering, did the original poster purchase their AirTags from a third-party reseller? If they got those first-generation ones from a third party and they were sitting in the warehouse for a while, this could be the reason, even if they still can’t work after putting the battery in and out.

To be honest, I got my second-generation AirTag directly from the Apple Store, so it won’t be an issue for me especially since that’s new stock. I did exchange it a bit before the return window closed because I initially used it for a school project. However, reverse engineering it in CAD caused it to get scratched easily by my callipers and measuring tape, and I removed the battery in and out a couple of times. After I finished my project, I got it exchanged at the Apple Store so I could have a fresh one with the battery still intact to use for my bag.
 
cynics said:
Like mentioned its typically the child safety bitter coating. It can add enough electrical resistance that when it's pinging iPhones the battery level drops to its low battery alert level. You can clean its off with isopropyl alcohol.
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That’s the way. Also good for these batteries that have blue food coloring on them, but make sure to wash your hands when you are done removing it!


IMG_1324.jpeg
 
goldmac2006 said:
Just wondering, did the original poster purchase their AirTags from a third-party reseller? If they got those first-generation ones from a third party and they were sitting in the warehouse for a while, this could be the reason, even if they still can’t work after putting the battery in and out.

To be honest, I got my second-generation AirTag directly from the Apple Store, so it won’t be an issue for me especially since that’s new stock. I did exchange it a bit before the return window closed because I initially used it for a school project. However, reverse engineering it in CAD caused it to get scratched easily by my callipers and measuring tape, and I removed the battery in and out a couple of times. After I finished my project, I got it exchanged at the Apple Store so I could have a fresh one with the battery still intact to use for my bag.
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Hey goldmac, I'm the OP 🙂 I definitely bought from a 3rd party but can't remember which one. But since changing the batteries, I've not had any further low battery alerts 🤞
 
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scouser75 said:
Hey goldmac, I'm the OP 🙂 I definitely bought from a 3rd party but can't remember which one. But since changing the batteries, I've not had any further low battery alerts 🤞
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Got it! Also, keep in mind that third-party resellers selling those AirTags (especially if you are buying first gen ones ) might still be available if they’re old stock, which could mean the batteries might be dead when you buy them.

But if you use good batteries and clean them with sandpaper or IPA to remove any bitter or food coloring, you should be all set.
 
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erihp said:
You might want to check if the batteries you're using has a layer of bitterant near the battery connection point/contact interfering.

FWIW I have no issue with Panasonic CR2032s in my tags.
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I do have a tin filled with random CR2032s, luckily these are the old fashioned ones that don’t have safety coatings on them.

When my AirTag says it’s time, I’ll give my sunbeam batteries a try.
 
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goldmac2006 said:
Got it! Also, keep in mind that third-party resellers selling those AirTags (especially if you are buying first gen ones ) might still be available if they’re old stock, which could mean the batteries might be dead when you buy them.

But if you use good batteries and clean them with sandpaper or IPA to remove any bitter or food coloring, you should be all set.
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Sandpaper???
 
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scouser75 said:
Thanks gold mac. And gotta taste the guys who figure out these things to help out so many.
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No worries, mate! I’m confident it’ll work out. I actually did a project on AirTags for my final project in the Consumer Cultures class during junior year of college , so I spent a lot of time researching AirTags and button cell batteries, which are the technical aspects of it.
 
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goldmac2006 said:
I do have a tin filled with random CR2032s, luckily these are the old fashioned ones that don’t have safety coatings on them.

When my AirTag says it’s time, I’ll give my sunbeam batteries a try.
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Bruh ima have to order a new set of batteries. All the sunbeams and energizers that ain’t had coatings on them I tested with a third-party find my tracker, which uses the same battery as the AirTag, is completely unresponsive. After a decade of storage, they have become useless, even for the Sony ones that haven’t expired yet.

At least I knew ahead of time by testing them out before my AirTag says it’s time, there are value sets available for them on Amazon !
 
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goldmac2006 said:
Bruh ima have to order a new set of batteries. All the sunbeams and energizers that ain’t had coatings on them I tested with a third-party find my tracker, which uses the same battery as the AirTag, is completely unresponsive. After a decade of storage, they have become useless, even for the Sony ones that haven’t expired yet.

At least I knew ahead of time by testing them out before my AirTag says it’s time, there are value sets available for them on Amazon !
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Were they stored loose in the tin?

You may have been shorting the positive and negative poles against the surface of the box and each of the cells, which would drain the batteries quickly!

Because of the large surface/contact area, this can affect button cell batteries more than cylindrical cells.
 
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erihp said:
Were they stored loose in the tin?

You may have been shorting the positive and negative poles against the surface of the box and each of the cells, which would drain the batteries quickly!

Because of the large surface/contact area, this can affect button cell batteries more than cylindrical cells.
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You’re right, it’s not a great idea to keep them. I’ve got some packaged CR2016s that don’t expire until next year , but also a bunch of loose ones!

I’ve decided to toss everything out and get new ones. The new ones worked perfectly on the third-party one. Now, I’ve put them in the same spot as my AirPods cases and AirTag accessories—a plastic tray with the packaging still on it. Everything’s sorted now!
 
erihp said:
You might want to check if the batteries you're using has a layer of bitterant near the battery connection point/contact interfering.

FWIW I have no issue with Panasonic CR2032s in my tags.
Click to expand...
Yeah i’ve had some batteries with bitter coating not work at all, from new in the airtags.
 
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throAU said:
Buy less terrible CR2032 batteries.
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Even uncoated ones from dollar tree still work well. A two pack of them are $1.50 compared to the much more expensive energizer packs in the store which aren’t worth it. I remember getting a pack of AG13s from that brand for an aquarium thermometer 🌡️ and it was $8 for a pack of 5 at target.
 
goldmac2006 said:
You’re right, it’s not a great idea to keep them. I’ve got some packaged CR2016s that don’t expire until next year , but also a bunch of loose ones!

I’ve decided to toss everything out and get new ones. The new ones worked perfectly on the third-party one. Now, I’ve put them in the same spot as my AirPods cases and AirTag accessories—a plastic tray with the packaging still on it. Everything’s sorted now!
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Dude don't toss them out. It's a waste of your hard earned. It's not great for the environment. And you can get a few months out of them. So keep them and use them till they go.
 
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scouser75 said:
Dude don't toss them out. It's a waste of your hard earned. It's not great for the environment. And you can get a few months out of them. So keep them and use them till they go.
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😂 I was just kidding 😉 I did still keep the ones that didn’t leak or never been used in the AirTag. I use them for my keychain flashlight 🔦 and the frameless candles.
 
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