Apple Says Don't Buy AirTag Replacement Batteries With Bitter Coating
Since AirTags were just released earlier this year and are expected to have a year-long battery life, it may be some time yet before AirTag users need a replacement battery, but when the time comes for a refresh, Apple is warning customers not to buy batteries with a bitter coating.
AirTags use coin-shaped CR2032 batteries, which happen to be a size that's easy to swallow. Some battery makers like Duracell have begun putting a bitter coating on CR2032 batteries to prevent children from eating them.
According to Duracell, hundreds of lithium coin batteries are accidentally swallowed by children each year, and these batteries can cause a harmful chemical reaction. The non-toxic bitter coating reacts with saliva and is meant to deter swallowing.
As The Loop points out, Apple's AirTag battery replacement support document that was published earlier this month specifically warns against bitterants and says that these coatings might cause the battery not to work.
CR2032 batteries with bitterant coatings might not work with AirTag or other battery-powered products, depending on the alignment of the coating in relation to the battery contacts.
The alignment of the coating in relation to the battery contacts is at issue, so to ensure the battery will work, AirTag users should buy replacement CR2032 batteries that do not have any kind of coating.
Apple's use of the CR2032 battery has been an issue in Australia, and some Australian retailers have refused to sell AirTags because of the easy access to the battery. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sent out a press release urging parents to keep AirTags out of the reach of children because of safety concerns about the "accessibility and security of the button battery inside the product."
The battery in the AirTag is accessible by pressing and twisting the accessory open, which the ACCC believes is simple enough for children to figure out. In addition to avoiding batteries with coatings, AirTag users should also make an effort to keep them away from kids.
Top Stories
In May, a major Australian retailer took AirTags off its shelves in response to concerns that the Bluetooth-enabled item tracking device could pose a threat to children due to the size and "easy" access to its battery. Now, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is officially slapping Apple's AirTag with a warning. In a press release, the ACCC says it is "urging parents" to keep ...
More than a week following their international debut, Apple's AirTag item tracker is now facing child safety concerns about its replaceable battery.
AirTags feature a standard replaceable CR2032 coin-cell battery that Apple says can power an AirTag for an entire year. The battery in an AirTag can be removed by pushing down and twisting the AirTag's back-plate, a fairly straightforward and...
AirTag, announced this week and shipping on April 30, is Apple's long-rumored Tile-like tracker for locating and keeping a tab on items such as keys, wallets, and more. The iPhone accessory is a new product category for Apple, building on its Find My network. While AirTags won't be in the hands of customers until next week, we continue to learn more about Apple's latest gadget.
YouTuber Rene ...
The utility of Apple's AirTag item trackers have started to be seen in law enforcement when locating stolen property, according to recent reports. As reported by GadgetLite, an AirTag user in Boston was able to recover their stolen property with the help of the police and Apple's small tracking device.
Earlier this month, the user discovered that his bike had been stolen. Thankfully, he...
At its jam-packed "Spring Loaded" event today, Apple finally announced its long-rumored item tracker, called AirTags. AirTags allow users to keep track of items such as their keys, bags, and more using the Find My network, and ultra-wideband technology. AirTags are small in design, and according to Apple, this small design means that it is water-resistant per the IP67 industry rating. An...
Following the announcement of AirTags this week, Apple's VP of worldwide iPhone product marketing, Kaiann Drance, and Apple's senior director of sensing and connectivity, Ron Huang, spoke with Fast Company about the Tile-like tracker and its design and privacy.
Speaking about the design of AirTag, Drance says Apple wanted to create a simple yet unique design for the tracker, keeping in mind...
After years of waiting for the AirTags to debut, launch day is finally upon us and AirTags are now in the hands of customers. We got our AirTags in the mail today and thought we'd share a hands-on look for those who are still waiting for their orders or debating whether AirTags might be useful.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. As you probably know by now, AirTags...
Wednesday September 15, 2021 9:56 am PDT by
Juli CloverApple this week continued distributing new firmware for the AirTags that first rolled out in August. There have been several minor releases with different build numbers, and behind the scenes, those tweaks were to meter the number of people who were seeing the AirTag update at one time.
The last version, for example, with a build number of 1A291e changed nothing other than the rate limit on...
Apple is enhancing AirTags security to prevent stalking using the Bluetooth devices, Apple told CNET today. Apple is already sending out over-the-air updates to AirTags that will shorten the amount of time before an unknown AirTag alerts you if it is in your possession.
At the current time, AirTags play a sound after three days of being away from their owner. After the update, AirTags will...
Apple today released a revised version of the AirTags firmware that was first provided to AirTags owners last week. The new internal build number is 1A291c, up from 1A291a.
We don't know what's included in the new firmware and no new features were found following the first release, so it likely focuses on bug fixes and other under-the-hood improvements.
There is no way to force an AirTag...
Top Rated Comments
Uh…isn’t the point of this that the AirTag is supposed to be tracking something that could be susceptible to being left somewhere?