It's Possible to Drill a Hole Through an AirTag

Unlike a Tile or some other item trackers, Apple's new AirTag does not have any holes or openings for attaching it directly to a keychain, forcing customers to purchase accessories like a leather key ring for this purpose.

airtags drill 1
Interestingly, though, MacRumors forum member smythey has proven that it is possible to drill a hole into the AirTag without breaking it, allowing for a string or a thin key ring to be fed through the opening. The result doesn't look very cosmetically appealing, but smythey said the AirTag seems to function normally after the do-it-yourself job.

A teardown of the AirTag shared on YouTube today provides a first look inside Apple's item tracker, revealing a circular circuit board with seemingly just enough room around the edges to drill a small hole in the plastic.


Keep in mind that drilling a hole into an AirTag will unsurprisingly void Apple's warranty and could damage the accessory if done incorrectly, but this still proves as a neat proof of concept for those looking to save a few dollars.

Is your AirTag order arriving today? Discuss with others in our AirTag forum.

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
samsung crease less foldable display ces 2026%402x

Foldable iPhone's Crease-Free Display Tech Spotted at CES 2026

Tuesday January 6, 2026 3:04 am PST by
CES 2026 has just provided a first glimpse of the folding display technology that Apple is expected to use in its upcoming foldable iPhone. At the event, Samsung Display briefly showcased its new crease-less foldable OLED panel beside a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and according to SamMobile, which saw the test booth before it was abruptly removed, the new panel "has no crease at all" in comparison. The ...
AirPods Pro 3 Year of the Horse Feature

Apple Launches Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year

Monday January 5, 2026 11:28 am PST by
Apple has designed a limited edition version of the AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate Lunar New Year, and customers in select countries can purchase them starting today. The Year of the Horse Special Edition AirPods Pro 3 feature a unique horse emoji character that's otherwise unavailable. Customers in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore are able to buy the AirPods, and they'll be...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
61 months ago
Man, I really wish I'd seen that teardown video before I made mine…



Attachment Image
Score: 81 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anup.chavda Avatar
61 months ago
I just 3D printed my own holders. Cost me less than 10cents and 10 mins.

Attachment Image
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mtneer Avatar
61 months ago
Cool.. can’t believe that Apple’s design engineers did not think of this use case.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
davie18 Avatar
61 months ago

Cool.. can’t believe that Apple’s design engineers did not think of this use case.
I mean they obviously did... seeing as these will probably be most useful for keys how could you not consider how peple will attach it to keys.

The cynic would say they did it on purpose so people have to buy the holder to attach it to keys = more profit for apple

I cant think of any other reason they would leave it off.... maybe they woul just say they want the 'cleanest design possible' or something, but I think the cynical assumption might be correct
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ForkHandles Avatar
61 months ago
All it needs now is a button you can press to help you find your iPhone, it will be as useful as a Tile then.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
benshive Avatar
61 months ago

Man, I really wish I'd seen that teardown video before I made mine…


Reasons this site is great, ranked:
1. AngerDanger gifs
2. Apple news
3. Everything else
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)