Airtag battery still low after replacing with new CR 2032 batteries

Upon receiving the notification of low battery on your Airtag, you purchase fresh CR 2032 batteries, unpack them, and proceed to replace the Airtag battery.

You open the “Find My” app to check the battery status, only to find that it is still low.

After conducting a quick Google search and referring to some Apple documentation (found here), you discover that CR 2032 batteries with a bitterant coating may not work properly with Airtags.

It then dawns on you that you unintentionally bought batteries with the bitterant coating, as indicated by the image of a kid with a disgusted expression on the packaging.

Resolving the Bitterant Issue

How did I resolve this problem?

I gently scraped off the top coating from the negative pole with the bitterant and optionally cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol.

Please note: Don’t Do This At Home 🤫