When you set up an AirTag, it's automatically associated with your Apple ID, which means it's linked to your ‌Apple ID‌ and can't be used by someone else unless you reset it.

f1618938547
Resetting can be as simple as removing an ‌AirTag‌ from your ‌Apple ID‌, by following these steps:

  1. Open the Find My app.
  2. Tap on the ‌AirTag‌ that you want to remove by choosing its name from the list.
  3. Swipe upwards to bring up the full ‌AirTag‌ settings.
  4. Tap on "Remove Item." remove airtag
  5. Tap on "Remove" and then tap again on the "Remove" popup.

Once you've gone through this process, the ‌AirTag‌'s ownership is cleared and you can give it to someone else to set up and use with their own account.

Unfortunately, if you're not in Bluetooth range of your ‌AirTag‌ when you remove it from your account, it won't register and a manual reset will be required. If you wind up with an ‌AirTag‌ from someone else that says it's linked to their ID but they've already removed it from their account, follow these steps to physically reset the ‌AirTag‌:

  1. Press down on the stainless steel backing of the ‌AirTag‌.
  2. As you press down, rotate counterclockwise until the cover stops rotating. airtag battery twist open
  3. Pull apart the two halves of the ‌AirTag‌. airtag battery pry apart
  4. Take out the battery.
  5. Put the battery back in.
  6. Press down on the battery until it makes a sound.
  7. Once the sound finishes, repeat this process four more times, removing and replacing the battery and then pressing on the battery until you hear a sound. airtag battery removed
  8. You need to hear a total of five sounds to ensure that the ‌AirTag‌ is reset.
  9. After you've finished this process, put the cover on the ‌AirTag‌ back on and then align the three tabs on the cover with the three slots on the ‌AirTag‌.
  10. Press down on the cover until there's a sound, and rotate the cover clockwise until it locks in place.

To avoid having to do this tedious physical resetting process, it's best to make sure that the person giving you an ‌AirTag‌ has removed it from their account in the proper way while it's in range of Bluetooth, because that's a far easier process for clearing ‌AirTag‌ ownership to pass it along to someone else.

Top Rated Comments

dojoman Avatar
54 months ago
Second step is required only if you removed the Airtag from your account and it's not in Bluetooth range. Thieves cannot use it if you didn't remove it from your account in the beginning.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwaltwhit Avatar
54 months ago
AirTags are made to track LOST items, not stolen ones. It is not an anti-theft device. It is not made so you can hunt down a thief and retrieve your items. It is not made to be thief-proof. I feel like people are making the AirTag into something it’s not.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
countryside Avatar
54 months ago
WARNING: Please do this away from children as they MAY swallow the battery... or the entire AirTag for that matter. Thanks, Officeworks ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/airtag-removable-battery-sparks-child-safety-concerns.2294746/') for alerting me to this incredible oversight.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randomthoughts Avatar
54 months ago
So this is what happens, you can’t pair it to the other Apple ID, but the Find My app on the original Apple ID can’t update the location. If I bring it to a device with the original Apple ID, it wants to try to pair again.

So while someone won’t be able to disassociate the AirTag from your account for their own use, if you don’t have the item in your possession, someone could reset it and prevent you from tracking it.

That’s an issue.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Icaras Avatar
54 months ago

So someone can find my AirTag and reset it to take ownership before I even realize it’s lost? I would think that these would have the same ownership lock that iPhones do… (forgive me but I forget what they call it… maybe Authentication Lock or something?)
No.

"If you wind up with an AirTag from someone else that says it's linked to their ID but they've already removed it from their account, follow these steps to physically reset the AirTag:"
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ronal Avatar
54 months ago
Why do they even have the second option to remove from Apple ID? Makes this less and less secure, meaning people will still try to steal it and use it for themselves
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...