Airtags are one of the best tracking devices to keep track of your belongings, especially if you’re already invested in the Apple ecosystem. The tags can last up to a year on a single battery and are rather accurate at reporting their location, not to mention their integration into the Find My network helps make them quite visible.

That said, they aren’t perfect and can run into random bugs and glitches from time to time. In this article, we’re talking about Airtags not updating their location and relevant information, why this happens and what you can do to fix the problem.

What causes this error?

There are a number of reasons why an Airtag might fail to report its location or other parameters, some of the most common reasons include the following.

The Airtag battery is dead.
Bug or glitch in the find my network.
The Airtag is in an isolated place with no Find My devices around.

Another important thing to keep in mind about Airtags is that they’re not real-time trackers, meaning they won’t give you a real-time feed of their location. An Airtag’s location only updates when it pings off a nearby Find My device such as an iPhone or other compatible device that can update its location on the network.

*Airtags aren’t meant for real-time tracking. | Source: Apple*

If you’re expecting Airtags to provide real-time tracking data, they need to be in constant proximity to a compatible Find My device.

Also read: What does privacy warning mean on WiFi?

How to fix this?

Here are eight fixes you can try out.

Wait for the Airtag to move

One of the most simple causes, why an Airtag hasn’t moved on the map, is because it hasn’t moved in real life either. If you’re tracking an Airtag put out in the world, there’s a good chance it’s exactly where you left it, causing the location to remain the same. Wait for some time for the Airtag to move and ping off another Find My device to see if that updates the location.

Wait for a Find My device to ping the Airtag

Another reason for Airtags to not update their location, as mentioned above, is that they’re stuck in an isolated area where there are no Find My devices nearby. As soon as a compatible device comes within range of an Airtag, it will update its location. An Airtag will update its location every 60 to 120 seconds provided it is in proximity to a Find My device so it shouldn’t be too long a wait.

The Airtag battery is dead

As mentioned before, a dead battery on an Airtag is no good when it comes to tracking the actual tag itself. If the last reported battery level on the particular Airtag was very low, there’s a chance that the battery has died and the Airtag is essentially a piece of plastic attached to whatever you’re trying to track. Swap out the Airtag battery and it should come back to life again.

Physical damage to the tag

Another possible reason for an Airtag going missing is the fact that it’s been damaged and isn’t in a working state anymore. Dust can also reportedly enter the Airtag and cause it to stop working if the tracker is in a rather dirty environment. Try cleaning the Airtag off and replacing the battery as a preventive measure to see if it starts working again.

Enable the Find My app

It’s rather elementary but if the Find My app on your phone is disabled, you won’t be able to see an active Airtag’s location.

Head over to your phone settings and tap your Apple account.
Tap Find My.
Enable the Find My Phone slider alongside the Find My Network slider.

The aforementioned settings will also apply to any Airtags associated with your Apple account. Restart your phone and you should be able to see the Airtags updating now.

Also read: Unable to connect to Google chat: 6 Fixes

Re-add the Airtag

Sometimes removing a particular Airtag and adding it again can help fix the problem. Here’s how.

Open the Find My app and head over to the Items tab.
Tap the Airtag you want to remove.
Scroll down and tap Remove Item.

Now restart your phone and try adding the tag again. It should start working again.

Reset network settings

Incorrect network settings can cause all sorts of problems, including Airtags not updating their location. This resets your WiFi networks, Bluetooth connections, cellular and even VPN settings.

Check out our detailed guide on how to reset network settings what doing so can do here.

Reset Airtag

If nothing else works, try resetting your Airtag as a final resort to see if it works. Resetting the Airtag is rather simple, just press down the battery until you hear a sound indicating a proper connection. Repeat the process four more times, making it five in total to reset the Airtag. The fifth sound will be different from the first four indicating that the tag has been reset.

Also read: Top 7 VPNs for PC, Android, Mac, iOS and Chrome

Why is my Airtag not updating information? 8 Fixes