Apple’s Four-Pack of Second-Gen AirTags: Is It Worth It?

I lose my keys at least twice a day. It is an annoying, time-wasting ritual that usually ends with me yelling at sofa cushions. If you are anything like me, you have probably realized that buying just one Bluetooth tracker is a band-aid on a broken leg. You need to track your keys, your wallet, your work bag, and maybe even your mischievous dog who likes to slip through the back gate.

That is where Apple’s four-pack of second-generation AirTags comes into play. It is the bulk-buy option for the forgetful. But is this bundle actually worth your hard-earned cash, or is Apple just tricking you into buying more hardware than you actually need? Let us strip away the marketing gloss and look at what these trackers actually offer, where they fall short, and whether you should buy the multi-pack.

What is Apple’s Four-Pack of Second-Gen AirTags?

Simply put, this is Apple’s bundled offering of its updated tracking beacons. Instead of buying a single tracker, you get four identical discs packaged together. The strategy here is classic Apple: make the individual item just expensive enough that the bundle looks like an absolute steal by comparison.

What Comes in the Box?

The packaging is incredibly minimalist, almost to a fault. Inside the cardboard sleeve, you will find four second-generation AirTags tucked into paper trays, alongside a tiny stack of safety manuals. That is it. No keyrings. No adhesive mounts. No protective cases.

It is a naked product. If you want to attach these to anything other than a pocket or a bag compartment, you will have to spend more money on accessories. Apple sells its own loops and keychains, of course, and they often cost more than the tracker itself. It is a frustrating design choice that feels like a deliberate cash grab, but third-party manufacturers have thankfully stepped in with cheaper alternatives.

Key Upgrades in the Second-Generation AirTag

The second-generation AirTag is not a radical redesign. Instead, Apple focused on fixing the annoyances of the original model. The primary upgrade is the inclusion of the second-generation Ultra Wideband (U2) chip, which you will also find in the iPhone 15 and 16 series.

This chip massively increases the range of Precision Finding. The old model required you to be within about 30 to 40 feet to get on-screen directional arrows. The new one can find signals from much further away, easily reaching up to 200 feet in open spaces. The internal speaker is also louder. The original model emitted a high-pitched chirp that was easily muffled by a thick couch cushion or a heavy winter coat. The second-gen model has a redesigned speaker enclosure that cuts through fabric much better, making it far easier to locate by sound alone.

First-Gen vs. Second-Gen AirTags: What’s the Difference?

If you already own a set of first-generation AirTags, you might be wondering if you need to throw them in the bin and upgrade. The short answer is no, but the differences are noticeable if you are buying fresh.

The first-gen tags are still highly capable because they use the same massive Find My network. However, the hardware limitations are real. The older U1 chip struggles in crowded environments, and the battery door was notoriously easy for curious children to twist open, posing a choking hazard. Apple addressed this security flaw in the second-gen model with a more robust twist-and-lock mechanism that requires deliberate, two-handed pressure to open.

Here is a direct comparison of the two generations to help you decide if the upgrade is worth it:

The upgrades are iterative, not revolutionary. If your current trackers work fine, keep using them. But if you are starting from scratch, buying the older stock to save five dollars is a bad move. The range improvement alone makes the second-generation model vastly superior in real-world use.

The Math: Why Buy the Four-Pack Instead of Individual Trackers?

Let us look at the cold, hard numbers. Apple has a very specific pricing ladder designed to make you spend more money than you planned.

A single second-generation AirTag typically retails for around $29 (US) / £35 (UK) / $45 (AU). If you buy four of them individually, you are looking at a total bill of roughly $116 before taxes.

In contrast, Apple’s four-pack second-gen AirTags bundle usually retails for $99 (US) / £119 (UK) / $165 (AU). That brings the per-unit cost down to about $24.75. You are saving roughly 15% right out of the gate. It is a classic volume discount.

However, you have to be careful with this math. If you only have two things you actually want to track, buying the four-pack to “save money” is a trap. You are spending $99 instead of $58. You only save money if you actually deploy all four trackers. If two of them sit in a drawer gathering dust while their batteries slowly drain, you have lost the financial game.

Pros and Cons of the Second-Gen Four-Pack

No tech product is perfect, and Apple is famous for making brilliant hardware that comes with annoying, arbitrary limitations. Here is a brutally honest breakdown of the good and the bad.

The Pros

• Unrivaled Network Size: Because these utilize the Find My network, every single iPhone, iPad, and Mac on the planet acts as a passive beacon locator. If you lose your bag in a crowded airport, chances are someone with an iPhone will walk past it within minutes, updating its location on your map.
• Precision Finding is Scarily Accurate: The U2 chip does not just tell you that your keys are in the house. It gives you an exact distance and an arrow pointing you toward them, down to the inch.
• Replaceable Battery: Unlike Tile or other competitors that want you to throw the whole unit away when the battery dies, AirTags use standard, cheap CR2032 coin batteries. They last about a year and cost next to nothing to replace.
• Excellent Privacy Features: Apple has built-in anti-stalking alerts. If an unknown AirTag is moving with you, your iPhone will alert you, and you can force it to play a sound to locate it.

The Cons

• No Built-in Attachment Hole: This is my biggest gripe. Tile trackers have a simple hole so you can put them on a keyring. Apple forces you to buy a separate holder. It is cheap design masquerading as minimalism.
• Zero Android Support: If you switch to an Android phone, these become expensive plastic coins. They only work within the Apple ecosystem.
• Scuffs Easily: The polished stainless steel back of these trackers looks beautiful for about five minutes. Once you put them on a keyring with metal keys, they scratch instantly. They will look battle-worn within a week.
• CR2032 Bitter Coating Issue: Many battery brands coat their CR2032 batteries in a bitter substance to stop kids from swallowing them. AirTags often refuse to work with these coated batteries because the coating interferes with the metal contacts. You have to actively hunt for uncoated batteries or wipe them down with alcohol before installing.

4 Practical Ways to Use Your Apple Four-Pack of Second-Gen AirTags

If you do decide to pull the trigger on the bundle, you need a plan to use them. Do not let them sit in a drawer. Here is how to get the maximum utility out of your four trackers.

1. The Everyday Carry (Keys and Wallet)

This is the most obvious use case. Dedicate your first tracker to your keys using a secure fob. Dedicate the second one to your wallet.

For the wallet, do not just stuff the bulky disc into a credit card slot. It will stretch out the leather and create a weird, circular bulge in your back pocket. Instead, spend a few dollars on a third-party card insert. These are flat plastic cards with a circular cutout in the middle that distributes the thickness of the AirTag evenly across your wallet.

2. The Travel Kit (Luggage and Backpacks)

If you travel even once a year, this use case alone justifies the purchase. Drop your third AirTag deep inside your checked luggage. Do not hang it on the outside of the bag where a baggage handler or a rough conveyor belt can rip it off. Tuck it into an interior lining pocket.

When you land, you do not have to crowd around the baggage carousel anxiously wondering if your bag made the flight. You can open your Find My app and see that your suitcase is sitting safely on the tarmac right below you. It removes a massive amount of travel anxiety.

3. The Vehicle Tracker (Cars, Bikes, or Scooters)

Dedicated GPS trackers for cars require expensive monthly cellular subscriptions. An AirTag does not. Hide your fourth tracker inside your glovebox, under a seat, or taped beneath a bicycle saddle.

It is not a perfect anti-theft device. If a thief has an iPhone, they will eventually get an alert that an AirTag is tracking them. But in those critical first few hours after a theft, it can give you and the police the exact location of your vehicle. It is an incredibly cheap insurance policy.

4. The Family/Pet Safety Net

If you have a dog that likes to dig under the fence, slide an AirTag into a rugged, waterproof collar holder. Alternatively, slip one into your child’s school backpack.

Apple recently updated iOS to allow you to share AirTag locations with up to five other people. This means both parents can track the family dog or a child’s backpack without triggering those annoying “unknown accessory detected” alerts. It makes managing family logistics much simpler.

How to Set Up and Share Your Second-Gen AirTags

Apple has nailed the setup process. It is incredibly simple, but there are a few tricks to make sharing them easier.

First, make sure your iPhone’s Bluetooth is on and you are connected to Wi-Fi. Pull the plastic tab out of the AirTag. This activates the battery, and the tracker will emit a short, cheerful chime.

Hold the AirTag close to your iPhone. A card will automatically slide up from the bottom of your screen, asking if you want to connect. Tap “Connect.” You will then be prompted to name the tracker. You can choose from a list of presets like “Keys” or “Luggage,” or create a custom name and assign a matching emoji. Once named, the tracker is permanently linked to your Apple ID.

To share a tracker with a family member, open the Find My app and tap on the Items tab. Select the AirTag you want to share, scroll down to the Share This AirTag section, and tap Add Person. Choose a contact from your list. They will receive an invitation on their device, and once accepted, they can see the tracker’s location in real-time.

Where to Find the Best Deals on Apple’s Four-Pack of Second-Gen AirTags

Whatever you do, do not pay full retail price at the physical Apple Store if you can avoid it. Apple almost never discounts its own products in its brick-and-mortar locations.

Instead, look to authorized online retailers. Amazon, Target, and Best Buy frequently discount the four-pack. During major shopping holidays like Black Friday, Prime Day, or Back to School season, it is common to see the price of the bundle drop significantly.

Be extremely cautious of third-party sellers on marketplaces like eBay or unauthorized Amazon storefronts. Because these trackers are so popular, the market is flooded with convincing counterfeits. These knockoffs look identical on the outside but lack the U2 chip, meaning you lose the Precision Finding feature and get terrible battery life. Always ensure you are buying from a listing that says “Sold and Shipped by Amazon” or buy directly from an established retail chain.

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