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.

Popular Stories

m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Early Black Friday iPhone Deals

Monday November 10, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...

Top Rated Comments

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



Attachment Image
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
@Brett Avatar
60 months ago

australia is 10 June.


Mine is 30th in Australia.

Attachment Image
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kaz911 Avatar
59 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)
ZeebUK Avatar
59 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)
Bazooka-joe Avatar
59 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)