Find My AirPods: A Guide to Tracking Missing or Stolen AirPods (2024)

Make the most of Apple’s Find My app in the quest for your lost AirPods.

The AirPods are extremely portable with their sleek, true wireless design.

However, this convenient characteristic also makes them easy to lose.

Fortunately, you can locate lost AirPods with your iOS device using Apple’s Find My app and features like Lost Mode and Family Sharing. So, read on as we explain how to use these features and more.

How to Find AirPods Using the Find My App

Here’s how to use Find My’s Directions, Find, and Play Sound features to locate your AirPods:

1. Open Find My, choose Devices, and select your AirPods from the list or map.

   

2. Tap Directions to view your AirPods’ location and how to get there. You can also opt for a map or satellite view of the location.

   The Directions option only appears when your AirPods are outside Bluetooth range. You can also use this function on the iCloud website.

   

3. Select Find when your AirPods are within Bluetooth range to launch the distance proximity radar and pinpoint their location.

   I found my lost AirPods quickly with the proximity radar, which uses Bluetooth to display increasing signal strength and provide sound and haptic feedback to indicate how close I am to my AirPods. Find works with AirPods Gen 3, AirPods Pro Gen 1 & 2, and AirPods Max.

   

4. If you’re near your AirPods but still can’t find them, select Play Sound to pinpoint your AirPods’ exact location.

   In my experience, the high-pitched tones were easy to hear and cut through the noise, making finding my AirPods easier.

   

The steps above also apply when searching for a single lost AirPod using Find My. Just place the remaining AirPod in its case so Find My shows only the missing one’s location.

How to Find AirPods When They Are Offline or Out of Battery

If your lost AirPods are dead or offline, you can use Lost Mode to find them. Marking them as ‘Lost’ alerts you if they connect to another iOS device, reveals the finder’s location, and lets you send a custom message.

Here’s how to turn on Lost Mode for your AirPods:

1. In Find My, choose Devices, and select your AirPods.
2. Under Mark as Lost, select Activate, then Continue.

   

3. Customize your message for the finder with your contact details.

   

4. Tick Notify When Found, then choose Activate again to finalize.

   

Lost Mode doesn’t guarantee you’ll get your AirPods back, as this depends on the finder returning them. Additionally, resetting the AirPods can deactivate this feature.

How to Get Help in Finding AirPods Using Family Sharing

Family Sharing allows you to share the location of your devices, including AirPods, with family members.

It’s an excellent fallback option because if you lose your AirPods or can’t access the Find My app due to poor connectivity, other family members can easily track them for you on their app. Moreover, having multiple people able to track a lost device may increase the chances of locating them.

Follow these steps to enable Family Sharing for an existing Family Sharing group:

1. Go to Settings and tap your name in the left sidebar.
2. Select Family Sharing > Location Sharing > Share My Location.

   If you’re not part of a group, start one by selecting Set Up next to Family Sharing and following the onscreen prompts.

Apple Expert’s Trick to Avoid Losing Your AirPods Again

To prevent losing your AirPods while on the move, activate the Notify When Left Behind feature. This ensures you receive immediate alerts for up to 24 hours if you accidentally leave them in any location.

Here’s how to set it up:

1. Open Devices in Find My and select your AirPods from the list.
2. Turn on Notify When Left Behind under Notifications.
3. Under Notify Me, Except AT, tap New Location and add locations where you don’t want to be notified about leaving your AirPods.

You’ll need an iPhone 12 or newer to use this feature with your AirPods Gen 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I add AirPods to the Find My app on iPhone?
• Is Find My for AirPods accurate?
• Why does Find My for AirPods say ‘No Location Found’?
• How can I find my AirPods using Android?
• How can I find my lost AirPod case?

How can I add AirPods to the Find My app on iPhone?

AirPods automatically appear in Find My on all Apple devices linked to your iCloud account. However, you can manually turn on Find My by selecting Settings > Bluetooth and tapping the ‘i’ icon next to your AirPods’ name. Then scroll down and toggle on Find My network.

Is Find My for AirPods accurate?

No, Find My isn’t accurate. Since the AirPods lack GPS, they can’t communicate directly with the Find My network to relay their exact position. Additionally, Find My only tracks AirPods when they’re out of the case and emitting Bluetooth signals. If turned off or dead, tracking becomes difficult and inaccurate.

Why does Find My for AirPods say ‘No Location Found’?

‘No Location Found’ appears when your AirPods are out of range, inside their case, or dead. It’s possible that staying in this state for an extended period may prompt your AirPods to switch from their last location to ‘Offline’ or ‘No Location Found.’ However, there’s no definitive proof of this.

How can I find my AirPods using Android?

Android users can use apps like Wunderfind to locate AirPods. It displays a “radar” and distance score indicating your proximity to your AirPods and offers a paid Play Sound feature. While this only works for connected devices, you can find disconnected AirPods with these three methods for Android devices.

How can I find my lost AirPod case?

You can find a lost AirPods case using the Find My features discussed above (Lost Mode, Directions, Find, and Play Sound). However, this will only work if there’s one AirPod left inside the missing case or if you’re using the AirPods Pro 2.