Apple AirTauses small CR2032 lithium coin-cell batteries — the same type of batteries that have long raised safety concerns because of the severe injuries they can cause if swallowed by children.

Now, Energizer has introduced a special child-protected version of these batteries designed specifically to reduce those risks.

How the New “Child Shield” Batteries Work

The new Energizer Ultimate Child Shield batteries include two major safety features aimed at preventing accidental ingestion.

Blue Dye Activation

When the battery comes into contact with saliva, a special coating activates and turns the inside of the mouth bright blue. The idea is to give parents an immediate visual warning that a child may have placed the battery in their mouth.

Bitter Protective Coating

The batteries are also covered with a bitter-tasting layer intended to discourage children from swallowing them in the first place.

These additions target a long-standing problem with coin-cell batteries, which remain one of the leading causes of serious internal injuries and fatalities among young children.

Why Coin Batteries Are So Dangerous

Lithium button batteries can become lodged in a child’s throat or digestive tract. When this happens, the battery may generate an electrical current that can severely damage surrounding tissue in just a matter of hours.

Because devices such as AirTags use easily replaceable coin-cell batteries, safety concerns have followed the tracker since its launch in 2021.

The AirTag Safety Debate

Shortly after the release of the AirTag, a major Australian retailer temporarily removed the product from sale after raising concerns that the battery compartment could be opened too easily by children.

Australia’s consumer safety regulator, the ACCC, later advised parents to keep AirTags out of children’s reach despite Apple’s statements that the device complied with international safety standards.

In the United States, Apple was also required to add clearer battery hazard warnings to both AirTag packaging and the Find My app following the passage of Reese’s Law. The legislation was named after a child who died in 2020 after swallowing a battery from a remote control.

Apple’s Position and Compatibility Questions

Apple had previously noted that some child-protected battery coatings could potentially interfere with AirTag performance because of the tracker’s internal battery contacts.

However, Energizer now says its Ultimate Child Shield batteries are fully compatible with AirTags, and the products have already gone on sale in the United States.

In Brief

Energizer has launched new CR2032 Ultimate Child Shield batteries designed for devices including Apple AirTag trackers. The batteries feature a saliva-activated blue dye and a bitter coating intended to help prevent accidental swallowing by children.

The release comes after years of debate surrounding the safety of coin-cell batteries and the introduction of Reese’s Law in the United States. It represents one of the most visible recent attempts by the tech and battery industries to address the dangers posed by small lithium batteries in consumer electronics.