Apple’s AirTags are capable of making noise under different circumstances. For instance, you may have connected it to your iPhone or located an unknown AirTag in Find My. Keep reading to discover all the reasons behind your AirTag beeping or chirping.

Your AirTag’s Battery Is Connected

When you connect a battery to your AirTag(s), you’ll hear a higher-pitched chime that soon alters to a lower frequency. Despite being at different volumes, the two chimes sound the same. You’ll also hear this noise when you replace your AirTag’s battery.

When you first purchase an AirTag, your tracker will play the same sound once you can set it up as it will when a battery is connected. So, if you’re wondering why your new AirTag is making noise, that’s probably why.

If you don’t know how long you have until you have to replace your AirTag battery, you can read our guide on checking your AirTag’s battery level.

You’ve Set Up Your AirTag

It usually doesn’t take too long to set up your AirTags, and you’ll hear a shorter chime once the process completes.

Once you’ve set up your AirTags, you can play sounds from the Find My app whenever you need to find the item you’ve set up your tracker with. You can learn all about it in our AirTags explained guide.

An Unknown AirTag Is Moving With You

If you’re on the move and your iPhone doesn’t recognize an unknown AirTag is moving with you, you’ll hear a more fast-paced AirTag chirping. You will also usually receive an “AirTag Founded Moving With You” push notification on your iPhone.

If you know the item it’s connected to—for example, you’ve borrowed an item from your friend, family member, or neighbor—you don’t have anything to worry about. But if you don’t recognize the AirTag, erring on the side of caution is a good idea.

In 2022, Apple announced that it would introduce new features to protect people from stalking, but people with bad intentions could still use this technology to try and track you.

Fortunately, you can protect yourself against AirTag stalking in several ways. For example, you can remove the battery or use a Bluetooth scanner app.

You’ve Located an Unknown AirTag in Find My

If you hear an AirTag beeping three times, it’s likely because the Find My app hasn’t recognized it yet. The same rules from the previous section apply here; if you’re borrowing an item from someone you know, this isn’t a huge issue.

On the other hand, beeping sounds from unknown AirTags in Find My that you don’t recognize could be a cause for concern. Sometimes, you may hear this because you’ve picked up a wallet or keys that someone dropped and want to hand them to the police or lost and found. However, if that or a similar scenario hasn’t happened, it could mean someone is trying to track you.

AirTags are easy to use and set up; sounds are usually not a cause for concern. You’ll hear them when you’ve set up your trackers and if you replace your battery, along with whenever you choose to play a sound in the Find My app. You may also sometimes hear unknown AirTags, which can be concerning, but that’s a rare scenario.