First AirTag Orders Shift to 'Preparing to Ship' Ahead of April 30 Launch - MacRumors
Skip to Content

First AirTag Orders Shift to 'Preparing to Ship' Ahead of April 30 Launch

AirTag pre-orders only went live on Friday, but some customers who placed orders have already seen those orders shift over to "preparing to ship" status over the course of the weekend.

airtag preparing to ship
Orders that are preparing to ship are no longer able to be canceled, and soon those orders should be able to be tracked using methods like UPS My Choice and track by reference number in the United States. The first customers who ordered on Friday will see their devices arriving on Friday, April 30.

Priced at $29 each or $99 for a four pack, users can attach an AirTag to things like a wallet, keys, purse, or backpack and then keep track of the item's location in the Find My app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Initial supplies of AirTags‌ began to dwindle in the first hours that pre-orders opened on Apple's website – shipping estimates for single AirTags quickly slipped into May, while engraved ‌AirTags‌ won't deliver until late May or early June.

As of writing, 1-pack AirTag orders without engraving are listed as shipping within five to seven business days in the U.S., while engraved AirTags ship within five to six weeks. Meanwhile, a 4-pack of AirTags ships within five to six weeks with or without engraving.

Third-party retailers are also offering ‌AirTags‌ and it's possible orders could ship out close to the ‌AirTag‌ release date. Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in a new purple color also began on Friday. Many configurations still remain available for April 30 delivery.

Related Roundup: AirTag
Buyer's Guide: AirTag (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iphone duo

Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo'

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:56 am PDT by
Apple today announced the "iPhone Duo," a new kind of iPhone featuring two screens and a foldable inner display. The two halves of the iPhone Duo connect into a single continuous frame with the same aspect ratio across both displays, and Apple said the transition between open and closed is designed to feel fluid. When fully open, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, with an...
Surprise and Shine Live Coverage Article

Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and More

Wednesday September 9, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off today at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, where we're expecting to see the foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models, new AirPods 5 earphones, and perhaps some other announcements. Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We...
iOS 27 Feature Dark

Apple Announces iOS 27 Release Date

Wednesday September 9, 2026 10:46 am PDT by
At its event today unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and more, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released later this month. iOS 27 has already been available as a developer beta since June and as a public beta since July, and Apple today said that the update will be released for all users with a compatible iPhone model on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 is...

Top Rated Comments

HeavenDynamic Avatar
70 months ago
Mine shifted to "preparing to ship" just a few hours after placing the order.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tonyberinson Avatar
70 months ago
australia is 10 June.



Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago
So will Apple enable all the tags before shipment and pair to your account?

Then you would not need any shipping tracking... :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago

australia is 10 June.


Mine is 30th in Australia.

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bazooka-joe Avatar
70 months ago
In the U.K. mine still still says “preparing to ship” although the new Nike watch bands have now shipped with a Thursday delivery date so I would imagine that the air tags are sat in the UK in Leicestershire and the status won’t change until Wednesday or Thursday
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
70 months ago
Mine showing as preparing to ship too... just as long as they don't go missing like my last order from Tile... the irony of not being able to find your trackers, lost in transit...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)