Apple on Monday released WatchOS 26.2.1 to support compatibility with its new AirTag second-generation trackers. And while I appreciate the expanded range and louder speaker in the new AirTags, the more interesting feature to me is Precision Finding support for several Apple Watch models.
In the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update to get the latest version. You can also open the Settings app on the watch itself and go to General > Software Update. Remember that the watch must be on its charger for the update to complete.
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Precision Finding is what enables your iPhone 15 and later to locate AirTags (first and second generation) by leading you to them. For the first time, Precision Finding is available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later and the Ultra 2 and later. For example, I can follow the on-screen arrow and approximate distance on my iPhone 17 Pro to discover that my keys fell into the couch cushions and aren't still in my car.
Because my watch is almost always on my wrist, it's the most convenient way to search for things like this. So being able to use Precision Finding without having to grab my phone will be much more helpful and convenient. (It's embarrassing to have to use my watch to locate my iPhone to use Precision Finding to locate an AirTag.)
Previously, the Apple Watch has supported locating AirTags using the Find Items app, but until now, it's been limited to either playing a sound or getting directions via the Maps app.
Making AirTags chirp at the top of their little metal lungs is probably how most people locate them, and the louder speaker in the second-generation AirTags will no doubt help. But I'm not a bat -- why should I rely on a poorly developed sense of echolocation to locate items using some of the best technology available today?
The Maps integration is great for letting me see that I didn't leave my backpack in a cafe. But showing that it's zero miles away doesn't tell me where I absentmindedly set it down in the house. With the new update and the latest AirTag model, my watch will lead me right to it.
All of this is possible because the new AirTag models include a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the same one found in iPhone 15 and later models (but not the iPhone 16E), Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Ultra 2 and later. That enables more accurate positioning between devices. Precision Finding also works on iPhone models going back to the iPhone 11, which introduced the first UWB chips.
It looks like retailers are not yet stocking the second-generation AirTags, but I expect them to show up soon. And the first-generation is not only still useful, but frequently on sale.