iFixit Dissects AirTag 2: Speaker Still Easily Disabled

The AirTag is a convenient and quick way to track the location of your belongings, for example, while traveling. The device transmits its exact location and helps find lost items to which the tracker is attached.

Some time after the release of the first version of the AirTag, the device became available as a tracking tool. Users began leaving tags in the cars and bags of victims to track their location in real-time.

Apple tried to combat this phenomenon with a firmware update. iPhones now warn users if a foreign tag has been near them for an extended period. To locate it, the user must activate a sound signal. Malefactors began to hardware-disable the AirTag's speakers so that victims could not find the device.

The updated version of the AirTag did not resolve this issue. Malefactors can still desolder a couple of wires that go from the circuit board to the speaker. iFixit experts noted that Apple engineers could have used a small accelerometer to check the speaker, which would detect the vibrations of the speaker.