If you use an Apple AirTag, after about a year or so, your iPhone will alert you that the battery needs to be replaced. I own four AirTags that I purchased about 14 months ago, and two of them have alerted me that it is time to replace the battery. I replaced the battery in one of them shortly before taking a trip to Italy, only to discover that I bought the wrong battery. Learn from my mistake, and make sure that when you purchase a replacement CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery, do not purchase the version with a bitterant coating on it.
These batteries are small circles, and some children may be tempted to put them in their mouths and swallow them. Which is not good. A CR2032 battery with a bitterant coating tastes bitter when it reacts with saliva in a mouth, and the idea is that this encourages the child to immediately take the battery out of his or her mouth instead of swallowing it. This type of battery should give you clear indications on the packaging that a bitterant coating is being used. Here is the one that purchased from Amazon:
The idea of deterring improper use by children is a laudable goal, but apparently, the coating makes these batteries not work with certain electronic equipment. Including the AirTag, as Apple warns on its website.
I didn’t think about this warning when I purchased this set of batteries, so I installed one of these in the AirTag attached to my suitcase shortly before my vacation. I should have realized instantly that there was a problem because when you twist off the cover of an AirTag and replace the battery, before you even put the cover back on, the AirTag is supposed to make a sound to indicate that the new battery is connected. I didn’t hear that sound when I replaced this battery.
The battery with the coating did occasionally work with the AirTag. For example, when I arrived in Milan, Italy, the battery worked well enough for this AirTag to notice that it was in Milan. But that was the last place that the AirTag worked. Even after I returned home to the United States, the AirTag still incorrectly reported that it was in Milan, about 5,200 miles away:
The solution, of course, was to purchase a new set of CR2032 batteries that do not contain a bitterannt coating. When I installed the new battery, both in this AirTag and my other one that needed a new battery after my vacation ended, the AirTags immediately worked. As soon as I installed the battery, I heard the sound. And the AirTags correctly reported their location.
What annoys me about my mistake is that I should have known better. Almost exactly a year ago, I linked to a report that CR2032 batteries with a bitterant coating might not work with the AirTag. But a year later, I forgot about that. Hopefully, after reading this, you won’t forget when it is time for you to purchase a new battery.
Yeah, I found out this morning that batteries with the bitterant coating will NOT work in the Air Tags. Solution: Use rubbing alcohol to wipe the coating off. Or hand sanitizer and wipe it off with a cloth. Worked just fine after doing that!
Appreciate your comment of July 19, 2022 regarding the removal of bitterant coatings. Thanks, and have a great day!
I was successful using mineral spirits and/or paint stripper.
A little pure worked perfectly. Thanks Jeremy C
I used nail polish remover and it worked great.
The whole issue with the batteries and bitterant coating seemed to be an issue until I did some deep dives on the web. Turns out the coating isn’t really the issue, it’s the proper method to replace the battery. I had tried several different brands of batteries, all with the coating. I would put them in and once inserted, I heard a tone. I replaced the cover and could never get the AirTag to rejoin to my phone.
After some additional research it turns out all the batteries worked with the coating, no need to remove it.
You need to insert the new battery, hear the tone, remove it and reinsert it again, listen for the tone. Do that 5 times in a row and on the fifth time, you a different, longer tone. Replace the cover and it’s ready to be rejoined to your phone. I did this with each of the brands I bought and it worked each time, no need to remove the coating.
That’s actually cause each time you are replacing the cover you are stripping a little part of the coating each time…
Duracell false advertising on its 2032 batteries. Packaging says “Bitter Coating” but lower states in black on white background distinguished from rest of packaging: “compatible with Apple AirTag”. I understood that to mean they changed the coating so it would not interfere with AirTag function. Not the case. Unless want to reprocess the battery, don’t be duped by Duracell misleading labeling. 10/21/2023
I’ve replaced 5 air tags with bitterant coating batteries from Duracell and they all worked first try and still work perfectly months later. I actually buy the bitterant coated batteries purposely because I have kids and even though they have no history of swallowing weird things or putting weird things in their mouth, I’d rather pay more money for the peace of mind. The consumer product safety commission has a ruling that is to go into total effect by march 2024 to require special tools to remove them and/or require at least two hand motions to access the compartment. It also requires packaging changes and additional labeling. The fatality rate is super low, 0.04% as of 2011 or about 27 deaths vs 55,000 injuries from 1985-2011.
I used a small knife to pry the cover off but I also pried off the lower piece at the same time. I went online later to find out how to do it right. But now I have a sub layer piece that goes on first before installing the battery. How to reinstall the lower piece?
Wow, I have no idea. It is possible that you broke it? I see that you have now figured out that you twist them to get to the battery. I always find it a little difficult to do, but eventually, I’ve always managed to do it. Fortunately, you don’t have to replace the batteries very often.
-Jeff