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An AirTag is a tracking device that securely broadcasts its location via Bluetooth. It's a small glossy white puck, not much larger than a US quarter, and about the height of three stacked coins. A CR2032 coin cell battery keeps the AirTag powered for roughly a year. Once the AirTag is paired with an iPhone or iPad, you can essentially forget about it. Hang it on a keychain or drop it into a bag -- whatever you want to track or find later.

If you're holding a first-gen AirTag and a second-gen AirTag in each hand, you won't be able to tell them apart initially. (Unless you can sense that the second-gen tracker weighs 0.8 grams more.) But there are a couple of differences. Flip the tags over to reveal the metal back and you'll see that the writing around the edge of the second-gen AirTag is in all caps. It also lists "Find My," "NFC" and "IP67" to denote its other communication capabilities and resistance to water and dust. The first-gen AirTag includes "Designed by Apple in California" and "Assembled in China."

In typical Apple fashion, activating a new AirTag is easy. Initially, a plastic tab slipped in between the electronics and the battery, keeping the AirTag inert. Once you pull that tab and the pieces make contact, the AirTag starts broadcasting its presence. When you bring it close to an iPhone or iPad, a dialog box appears, giving you the option to connect the AirTag. When you tap Connect, choose a description of what the tag will be associated with, such as "Handbag" or "Luggage"; you can also enter a custom name. Choose an emoji to represent the AirTag in the Find My app and tap Continue. T

In the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, tap the Items button to view the AirTags you've activated. On an Apple Watch, open the Find Items app. Tap the item you want to locate. If you think it's close by, the easy option is to tap the Play Sound button to make the AirTag emit a high-pitched trill. However, if you have an iPhone 11 or later (not counting the iPhone SE), tapping Find uses the iPhone's ultra-wideband chip to locate the AirTag with more precision -- not just estimating the distance, such as "1.5 ft nearby," but also pointing you in the right direction as you move around. Th