Best way to open and mute (disable speaker) an AirTag with zero damage to the AirTag.

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UPDATE: Some users are reporting that they can hear a very faint sound when they hold the AirTag up to their ear, even after removing the voice coil's magnet. I hypnotized that other metal parts (or the battery) were reacting to the wire coil's electromagnetic field. KZbinr Liang-Chi Wuu reports that cutting the coil wires in addition to removing the magnet completely silences the AirTag without any negative effects on the AirTag's performance. If total silence is your goal, simply reopen the AirTag (good thing you didn't need to glue it back together ;) ) and cut the coil wires. Thanks for the tip Liang-Chi Wuu!
Every video I've watched on how to mute AirTags involves forcing the AirTag open with a screwdriver which breaks the three tabs that hold the AirTag together. As a result, the AirTag case is deformed and has to be glued back together.
My marking exactly where the three tabs are located, it's possible to release the tabs and open the AirTag with zero damage. Once the speaker is disabled, just snap the AirTag back together!

[@man-bagdammit2297]

Amazing video! Thank you so much! I bought AirTags for both my vehicles as there have been a number of vehicle thefts in my area. I always worried what was the point of having an AirTag in there if it would start chirping alerting the thieves. I feel so MUCH better after removing speakers in both of them! Thanks again! Didn't break any clips! SUBBED.

[@Koolbob2]

Glad to hear the technique worked well for you, thank you for subscribing!

[@DanielHHo]

Thank you. That was very concise and helpful.

[@laugechristiansen965]

Very helpful! Was able to remove the magnet in 3 minutes

[@Koolbob2]

Awesome, glad it worked for you!

[@minshum]

I find it helpful to lift upwards slightly. Worked a treat even though my marks were a little off.

[@SmilingDevil]

Awesome and to the point, was able to recreate this on first try, plus your comment cutting the wire...

[@leexgx]

Been looking for non destructive of doing this, perfect video

[@mikemc411]

Awesome ... Looking to add airtags to my various utility trailers to hopefully track them if they are ever stolen... (subscribed)

[@DavidJJJ]

This is a way better version, thanks a lot, it worked for my four and I didn't break any of the clips. I found it snug to get the back on again on a few but that's probably because I used a small screwdriver and not a knife.

[@Koolbob2]

Hey David, you're not the first person to hear a faint sound after muting an AirTag, I didn't notice any sound coming from mine, but perhaps my hearing isn't what it used to be. ;)

[@bobjones1620]

Thanks for the information. Liked and Subscribed. Good luck with the channel.

[@michaelburke4262]

Absolutely fantastic! Thanks!

[@mikasuhonen7773]

Thank you! This was perfect! Took me only few minutes to take the speaker magnet out and put the airtag back together! Now I don't have to have the tag chirping in my car any more.

[@Koolbob2]

Great to hear! Please subscribe, I'm trying to get to 1,000 subscribers!

[@martin90000]

Yup - it kind of defeats the purpose of stealthily tracking your property in case of theft, if the damned thing alerts the thief of exactly where it is hidden. I don't mind the thief knowing it's tracked, I just don't want the thief to be able to find the tracker itself lol

[@Kompyutershchik]

This is one of the best videos, thanks and keep growing!

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks!

[@airbell6714]

Thank you! This is so much better then then in other videos!

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you for the feedback!

[@calumbest5570]

Thanks! I respect people who still want to make a honest coin even if is by making useful videos like this. You will keep growing✌🏻

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you!

[@markanthony6128]

Excellent way of learning from you

[@YTBull]

Thanks for the Video. I´m happy I found yours and didn't follow the others.... Worked great (I made my own pointy tool using a grinding wheel to avoid damage due to the sharp knife) My AirTag will be used outside on a car, so no way somebody will hear the remaining beeps ;-)

[@Fudders]

Well done, thanks for this. I don't intend to replace the "speaker" in the AirTag, but I prefer this less destructive method of removing it ...and it saves messing with glue! 👍

[@Koolbob2]

Glad it helped

[@MrFsxgamer]

Very helpful, thanks!!

[@FrankDCamping]

Perfect! Thank you very much, it works.

[@RobertBarrett1]

very informative, thank you

[@Ice4711]

Thanks, much better way to open the Airtags!

[@Koolbob2]

Great to know it worked well for you!

[@RatBoiRatty]

Brilliant! Cheers for this. I just did two and I snapped only one of the clips. Totally chuffed.

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks for the feedback, glad the technique worked well for you!

[@drlau9]

This is great! I snapped one only because I didn’t get the scalpel blade deep enough to detach the clip from it’s seated position. Scalpel blades (11) is the best since it causes the minimal destruction with surrounding plastics but strong enough to bend and put through. A sharpened Philips (-) screw driver is the perfect pry tool. Thank you to the original poster!

[@joneclegg]

Great video, thanks!

[@csimons8735]

Perfect video, took under a minute to do. Thanks!

[@Koolbob2]

Great to hear the technique worked for you! Please subscribe, I need 1,000 subscribers to grow this channel to the next level!

[@celoguer]

thank you!! 1 minute and its done!

[@stevewhiteside1818]

Great suggestion!

[@Elsalilah]

done! had a bit more trouble to pry with the knife, so it's less clean than you, but worked anyway in the end so i'm happy thanks :-)

[@Koolbob2]

Glad to hear you were successful in muting your AirPod with help from the video! Thanks for subscribing!

[@Bragi71]

Great work, thank you!

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks!

[@ronviper2]

YOU ROCK! THANK YOU!

[@funguy4900]

Even after you take out the speaker it still makes a very faint sound that you can hear if you have the AirTag up to your ear.

[@Koolbob2]

Yes, please read the 'UPDATE' in the description below the video to learn how to eliminate the faint sound that persist after removing the magnet. Thanks!

[@daschacka]

Great Video

[@RennieAsh]

Thanks, I downloaded this video so I can do this when my tags arrive. And nice to see someone who thinks about what they are doing lol

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks for the feedback and for subscribing. Best of luck with the AirTags!

[@nickprieto2761]

Thank you sir! You’re a genious!

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you sir, and thanks for subscribing!

[@lamour1005]

Thanks great video super started following your channel. 🇺🇸🚀

[@Koolbob2]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@canino247]

You’re the man! 👍🏼

[@Koolbob2]

You too!

[@novaghost848]

Great video thank you

[@Koolbob2]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@MaxairEngineering]

Genius! Subscribed…..

[@velkyngame]

Thanks man! Subbed =)

[@janolesen6045]

thank. Subscribed

[@-palace-journey6975]

Very helpful 👍🏾

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you!

[@davet003.5]

Thanks

[@JacanaProductions]

Great, I didn't know one could actualy silence the little bugger and this, it squealing after a while when in lost mode, is a major deal killer to use it as a tracker. Will try this on all 5 of my little circles of joy! In IOS 15 there is also a new annoying feature that alerts you when you are away from the tag but it can be turned off. I love how the tag in my parents bag reported to some iPhone on board at 30,000ft over Kansas! Presumably someone with an iPhone picked its BT signal up and connected to a cellphone tower for a brief period.

[@Theoriginal1981]

Did you manage to do this ?

[@JacanaProductions]

yes it was super easy and you can use a little thin blade screwdriver too if you're careful.

[@smartin_pure]

Great, it works! :) Thank you for this exact marks to open. Perfect prepared AirTagsFor my Bikes & Scooter :) Now I just need a good hiding place.

[@Koolbob2]

I got a pair of these and they look right at home on our bikes. www.amazon.com/Device-Therapy-Mount-Reflector-AirTag/dp/B097L13FQV

[@s.wilson2101]

Yes, Best way to open

[@EstebanBurneo]

Perfect

[@DDcka]

amazing video sir. Subscribbed!

[@Koolbob2]

Awesome, thank you!

[@DDcka]

@@Koolbob2 Update: managed to do it on two airtags, thanks to you! :D

[@Koolbob2]

@@DDcka Awesome!

[@liang-chiwuu4785]

Thanks for the video! After trying it out it seems that even with the magnet removed, the AirTag is still beeping weakly if you put it right next to the ear. In order to make it dead silent you need to also disconnect those 2 tiny wires connected to the actual coil.

[@Koolbob2]

Thanks for the feedback! I never noticed the faint sound after the magnet removal, but others have mentioned it. I suspected other metal parts, or the battery were reacting to the coil's electromagnetic field once the magnet was removed. I knew cutting the coil would eliminate the electromagnetic field, but didn't know if cutting the coil would negatively affect the AirTag. My concern was that the coil might also function as the AirTag's bluetooth antenna. Can you compare the bluetooth range of an unaltered AirTag and one with the coil cut?

[@liang-chiwuu4785]

@@Koolbob2 That's a fair point. Just tested the effective range between 2 AirTags - one with the coil cut and there other one is brand new. It feels to me that both are functioning just the same: both can be connected within 30ft in an open space, or within ~15ft behind a drywall. I'm only doing this because I want to put it on my cat's collar, and they've got excellent hearing so I don't want it to beep at all. Under most cases it shouldn't be noticeable.

[@Koolbob2]

@@liang-chiwuu4785 Thanks for confirming that the range isn't affected by cutting the coil! I'll add an update to the video description so others can benefit from your experimentation. We have two cats that we don't let outside anymore due to an incident a few years ago with a pack of dogs. I have a few AirTags left over and I had thought about attaching them to the cats collars, just in case they slipped out. How are you attaching the AirTags to your cat's collar?

[@RennieAsh]

That's interesting. Well, let's hope that there is no requirement to have a functional coil incase we need to take it out ;p

[@EOnyxPC]

Dude! Thanks a million. Did it on the first try thanks to the marks you showed. Like and subscribe if this helped you the way it helped me.

[@Koolbob2]

I'm so glad to hear that my method worked well for you. Thank you for subscribing!

[@cyril3188]

Thanks for this. Funny how they are still emitting a very tiny sound after speaker (amplifier ?) removal, if you put the airtag just in front of your hear in a quiet room... How come ?

[@Koolbob2]

Another KZbinr said they heard a very faint sound after the magnet removal as well. I'm stumped. The magnet interacts with the electrical signal from the coil to make sound. with the magnet gone I can only assume the battery or other metallic components are vibrating from the electrical impulses from the coil. Maybe snip and remove the coil?

[@johnnyrifle]

Yeah same. Very quiet though. I doubt it could be heard if it wasn’t pressed against an ear

[@pauljinadu]

Phenomenal

[@Koolbob2]

Thank you!

[@jensbezemer8280]

Would be drilling a hole through the speaker and filling it with glue be sufficient to kill the sound?

[@Koolbob2]

Maybe. It’s a transducer, not a traditional speaker. The transducer in the AirTag has a voice coil and a magnet (which is what I’m removing in the video), but there is no speaker diaphragm or speaker cone. The AirTag uses the plastic shell of the AirTag to move air and produce sound. IF you could get enough glue between the voice coil and the magnet it MAY prevent to magnet from moving and vibrating the AirTag shell. Maybe.

[@jensbezemer8280]

@@Koolbob2 thanks, it was a thought. Give it a try your way

[@tobytester5187]

Worked great but having problem activating air tag. I didn't activate before taking out the speaker. Is that the problem?

[@Koolbob2]

Toby I'm sorry you are having problems activating your AirTag. I activated all four of my AirTags as soon as I got them and then discovered they sound an alert if a person who isn't the AirTag owner transports the AirTag. That's when I decided to mute one of my AirTags. It turned out so well I made my video so others could use the same method. Has anyone muted an AirTag and then activated it? If you have, please chime in!

[@SmokeFFM]

2:50 What if i also desolder the coil inside and remove it too?? It would save some battery life... but will it work normaly (without sound), or would it trigger a fault????

[@Koolbob2]

Good question! I'm not an electrical engineer, just a guy who likes to tinker with things. :) My understanding is that there is a circuit on the board that generates an electrical signal, that signal is amplified and sent to through the coil. The function of the coil is to convert the electrical signal into an oscillating electrical field, the magnet reacts to the coil's oscillating electro-magnetic field and vibrates along with the case of the AirTag the magnet is glued to, creating sound. Removing the magnet eliminates virtually all of sound, but the pulsating electro-magnetic field generated by the coil is able to cause other metallic items in the AirTag to resinate ever so slightly. Cutting the coil wire disrupts the electro-magnetic field and eliminates all resonance within the AirTag. No electric-magnetic field = no resonance = no sound. believeI do not anticipate any benefit from removing the coil entirely versus cutting the coil. It would depend on the design of the circuitry. It could be that the circuit uses the same power and functions as it did before even with the coil disabled, or the break in the circuit caused by disabling the coil could prevent the signal generation and amplification portion of the circuit from functioning and drawing power. In my opinion, the power savings, if any, would be minuscule and very difficult to measure.

[@jacoblepley9966]

Does it still stay water resistant do you think?

[@Koolbob2]

Good question! First of all, it's important to know the acknowledge the difference between water proof and water resistant. AirTags can not be submerged and even if unaltered, they may be damaged by water intrusion between the two halves of the case or past the battery door. Prying the case open does enlarge the gap between the two halves of the case where the knife blade is inserted, so yes the water resistance is compromised slightly. In my instance, the AirTags I've altered are inserted into a waterproof case designed to mount and conceal the AirTag, so I'm not at all concerned about the reduction in water resistance from opening the AirTag. However, if you are concerned it would be a simple task to add a minuscule ring of silicone caulk around the inside of the case before snapping the back of the case into place. I suppose it could even make the AirTag more water resistant than before the modification. Please Subscribe if you find the video helpful. Thanks!

[@Koolbob2]

@@uglyDuci I like this one from Device Therapy www.etsy.com/listing/998069956/airtag-bike-mount-reflector?gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRITS-0IQLNb1BHcbWKdEdCpr&gpla=1&gao=1&&Cj0KCQjwnJaKBhDgARIsAHmvz6eEMEJUehmi8kMd2BtYJTcWLjQ-jdO_1RssNEZ4vbYLmsBPE3i10j8aAtQGEALw_wcB_k_&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRITS-0IQLNb1BHcbWKdEdCpr&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnJaKBhDgARIsAHmvz6eEMEJUehmi8kMd2BtYJTcWLjQ-jdO_1RssNEZ4vbYLmsBPE3i10j8aAtQGEALw_wcB

[@funguy4900]

It worked on 3 tags but on the 4th two of the tabs broke off. I think they were glued in.

[@SkitsInfinity]

Oh hey, that looks like they've been mass produced in a way that speakers could be omitted from the build process with ease. And I guess that the 'follow alert' could be addressed by Apple in the firmware.

[@asifbinkabir5138]

do you know that you are a genious ?

[@SmokeFFM]

I wonder how it is waterproof with all the holes behind the battery..... hmmmm

[@Koolbob2]

To be fair, Apple says the AirTags are 'water resistant', not 'waterproof'. There's a difference. Officially, AirTags are and have the same water resistance rating as an iPhone SE. The rating of IP67 means that it is splash, water, and dust resistant. According to Apple, AirTags can spend up to 30 minutes underwater with a maximum depth of 1 meter (3.2 feet) without experiencing permanent damage.

[@Mangold108]

why do that?

I have airtag in car. Battery drain fast with beeping

[@Mangold108]

@ why is beeping?

[@Koolbob2]

Apple's intent was for people to use the AirTag to find items they had misplaced. Many of us would like to use the AirTag to locate items that have been stolen, so we mute the AirTag so it won't give away it's hidden location on a stolen item before we can track down the stolen item.

[@Mangold108]

@@Koolbob2 can t mute it by software ?

[@Koolbob2]

@@Mangold108 You can turn sound alerts 'off' and that will prevent the AirTag from playing a sound for the AirTag owner. But it the AirTag will still play a sound if someone else with an iPhone brings your AirTag home with them.

[@chrispatchel]

Fyi, you can use the 'Directions' option to find items without playing the sound, so removing the speaker is unnecessary!

[@Koolbob2]

True, but there is a logical reason for physically disabling the AirTag speaker. Apple is concerned that people will use the AirTag to unknowingly track another persons location. So Apple has designed the AirTag to audibly alert any iPhone user that brings an AirTag that isn't registered to them to their home, work or other place they use their iPhone regularly. Apple's 'anti spying alarm feature' defeats the purpose of attaching an AirTag to something of value if the AirTag is going to sound an alarm when and the thief brings the item to their home. Hiding and muting an AirTag when attaching it to an item of value greatly reduces the chance that the AirTag will discovered and disabled by thieves. Good luck retrieving anything of value if you have attached an AirTag in plain view or failed to physically mute it.

[@futureshock7425]

A stalkers dream!

[@jeromeevans]

Perfect