AirTags Shown Off in 3D Animation That Could Appear During Pairing Process

2021 is expected to be the year that Apple finally releases its long-awaited AirTags item trackers, and ahead of time, YouTuber and leaker Jon Prosser has shared a 3D animation of the accessory that was allegedly created by Apple.

airtags animation video jon prosser
Prosser says he obtained the animation from a software engineer, who believes that it may be presented to users in a future iOS version. Apple shows a similar 3D animation for several other accessories during the pairing process on an iPhone or iPad, including various HomePod and AirPods models and more.

As seen in previous mockups, AirTags are expected to be small, circular tags with a polished silver metal disc on the rear.

Similar to Tile, AirTags will help users keep track of their personal belongings, such as their keys, wallets, and backpacks, with users receiving a push notification on their Apple devices when they are separated from a tagged item. In 2019, MacRumors obtained screenshots showing that AirTags will be managed through a new Items tab in the Find My app.


AirTags are expected to support Ultra Wideband for improved location accuracy, as well as Bluetooth LE for broader compatibility with devices. AirTags are also expected to offer augmented reality functionality for locating misplaced items.

Thanks to Apple accidentally referencing AirTags in a YouTube video last April, we know this accessory is the real deal, but an exact release date still remains up in the air. Apple typically holds its first event of a year in March, but with in-person events not being hosted any time soon, a virtual event or press release is possible at any time.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

markfc Avatar
52 months ago
10 minute video for 5 seconds of product. Gotta love the internet.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
52 months ago

I would like to track my girlfriend secretly.

If I put that thing in her sushi platter, what are the chances of her swallowing it without biting on it? How small is it anyway?


Eh, it's sorta noticeable; might wanna stick with trusting her.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ersan191 Avatar
52 months ago
Shut up, Prosser.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlueCreek Avatar
52 months ago
Who the hell is Prosser? That video is just awful.

“Apple have my face and fingerprint”

No, they really don’t... your thinking of Google.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
52 months ago
Airtags...Skip to 6:03, the rest is filler.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
52 months ago

Pretty sure Apple is never going to release this, as it's going to be a massive privacy violation.

Stalkers could put these trackers in people's cars and they would never know (assuming reports of it being anonymous are true)
They can do the same thing with a tile, an iphone, etc.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)