The main advantage of Apple's Bluetooth headset compared to a wired one is its compactness, which determines its main drawback - the high probability of loss. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to find AirPods headphones due to their small size. The chances of finding something missing on the street, in the forest or in the snow are very slim. Searches for lost accessories at home, in the office or in any other premises are usually completed successfully and do not take much time.
The American manufacturer of wireless headphones has provided for the possibility of their loss, and a special application has been developed that works on all iOS versions older than 10.3. The article discusses all possible ways to search for the AirPods headset, including when there is no connection with it. The operating principle of the gadget detection system is described, and recommendations are given on what needs to be done to speed up the process and what not to do.
What to do if you lost your AirPods?
Since the appearance of the accessory on the market, a joke has been circulating on the Internet that it would be better for headset users to immediately tie rubber bands to them, like children’s mittens. This, according to wits, will help not to be left without expensive gadgets due to their loss. Indeed, AirPods are often lost: either one of them or a pair at once falls out of the case, or they are simply left on the table or on the sofa.
What to do in such an unpleasant situation? First of all, there is no need to panic; you should use the search tools developed by the manufacturer. The AirPods with Charging Case app allows you to find wireless headphones that are in or out of the case. The software works equally effectively in both cases.
Important! Immediately after purchasing AirPods, you need to charge it, turn it on and pair it with your Apple smartphone or tablet. Performing these simple steps will allow you to use your iCloud profile to connect wireless headphones with other gadgets or block it by serial number if necessary. You also need to add the accessory to the list of the Find iPhone application, which will allow you to use the software for searches.
How to set up AirPods?
When AirPods wireless headphones connect to your iPhone or other iOS device, they immediately start using your iCloud account. This allows them to automatically connect with other devices running under the same account. Agree, a very convenient interaction, and when it comes to finding them, it is especially useful.
Therefore, setting up the AirPods headphones happens on its own and does not require manually changing system settings. The main thing is, after connecting the headphones, do not forget to turn on the “Find iPhone” function on your smartphone, and your AirPods will immediately be added to the devices available for search.
How does the headphone detection system work?
The search function for lost wireless headsets was introduced in iOS, starting with version 10.3, which has been installed on Apple mobile devices since the fall of 2016. The Find AirPods system has certain limitations and features:
- The lost earbud, one or both, must be outside the charging case. The device is capable of giving a quiet signal: it starts beeping on command. By this recognizable sound you can easily determine its location.
- The range of the search system is limited by the range of stable reception of the Bluetooth signal.
- The best chance of quickly detecting AirPods headphones is only indoors. This number will not work in open space. For the street, the sound of the accessory is too quiet, and the accuracy of displaying its location on the map is extremely low.
The Find AirPods feature will be useless if the headphones are in the charging case. In this case, the wireless headset is not connected to the smartphone, which prevents you from using the program to search for it.
Why aren't AirPods showing up on the map?
There are several reasons why Find My iPhone may not help you find your AirPods:
- Find My iPhone was not enabled on the paired iOS device.
- If your AirPods are low.
- AirPods do not have GPS chips and rely on a connection to an iPhone or iPad. If the headphones are too far from the iOS device, approximately more than 10 meters, then finding them will also be difficult or impossible.
Most likely, you have more questions about AirPods. We have already collected them all on one page.
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What actions will help speed up the detection of headphones?
If you have lost an accessory, you must first determine whether there is a connection with it. To do this, you need to go to the settings of your phone or tablet and check if the AirPods (EarPods Pro) earphone(s) are connected. If it exists, then searching for the gadget will take literally a few minutes.
The room should be fairly quiet, so you should turn off the sound of the TV or audio system or reduce it to a minimum. You need to remember that the communication radius via Bluetooth is 10 m, which means that you need to check all adjacent rooms. The accessory may be in the next room of your apartment or among the sofa cushions; you need to listen in order to hear the signal and correctly determine its direction.
I lost (stolen) my Airpods, is it possible to link the lost headphones to someone else’s iPhone?
If you have lost or someone has stolen your AirPods, it is not difficult to connect the headphones to another iPhone.
All the finder or attacker has to do is place both AirPods in the charging case and hold down the settings button for a few seconds.
But the rightful owner of the device does exactly the same thing when resetting their settings to solve software problems.
Once you complete the reset procedure, your AirPods will no longer be paired with any of your Apple devices. There they may still appear in the settings, but this will not prevent the new owner from using the headset.
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What should you not do when looking for headphones?
It should be remembered that the charge of the wireless headset is not infinite. What you definitely shouldn’t do when looking for Apple headphones is to delay the process too much. If the built-in battery of the accessory runs out, it will be much more difficult to find it.
Before you start looking for wireless headphones, you need to make sure that they are actually lost and no one is using them. The fact is that the sound signal activated by the Find AirPods function is quite loud and sharp. This may result in deterioration or temporary hearing loss for the user of the accessory.
Ask Apple for help
An interesting point: the headphones disappeared late in the evening, and in the morning I received a notification in the mail that the AirPods were connected to another device almost at midnight. At this time, the wife was already happily sleeping and, in principle, could not use headphones. Apparently, this bad person decided to evaluate the capabilities of AirPods.
Unfortunately, if the headphones are connected to another device, then you cannot find out what kind of phone or tablet it is, or where it is located. It’s a pity, such a function would be very useful both for the owner of the lost equipment and for the police in their work.
And so we can only state that someone uses headphones.
Just in case, I asked Apple support for help. They asked for the serial number of the headphones, and at the same time specified which device they were used with last time.
The headphones themselves can be tracked using Find My iPhone if the headphones are connected to a phone and account. If the headphones are connected to another phone, they can no longer be tracked through your account. In your case, you should contact the police and file a report of theft.
Apple Support
Hope dies last and one can only hope that the police will be able to find the headphones. Although the search is similar to searching for a needle in a haystack: there are no clues, unless something happens by chance.
In the meantime, I have drawn this conclusion for myself. If your AirPods are stolen, don’t despair, just buy AirPods again and enjoy such wonderful headphones.
Ways to quickly detect AirPods
The manufacturer has expanded the functionality of the iOS operating system and provided the possibility of using an iPhone or iPod to find a lost headset. For these purposes, the built-in “Find AirPods” function or special applications such as Locator can be used. There are two ways to quickly find:
- by the sound signal it produces;
- using a card.
The choice of one or another method for detecting a wireless earphone is determined by the user. The first option will be effective if the gadget is lying open, the second is effective if the device is lost between pillows, other objects, or has fallen under the sofa.
Search by sound signal
Let's assume that the headset is located near your Apple device and within Bluetooth range. This will allow you to use the Find My AirPods feature or the Find My app that you install on your smartphone, laptop, or computer. To activate the headphone sound signal, you must perform the following steps:
- Select the “Locator” application from the menu and launch it.
- Tap on the “Devices” tab.
- In the list that opens, find the AirPods headphones and click on them.
- Click on the “Play sound” button.
We listen, the headset begins to emit a signal, the volume of which gradually increases. The sound plays for 2 minutes unless forcefully muted. To do this, you need to touch the “Stop” button.
Using a card
Another way to find a wireless headset is to use geolocation. The Latitude app is able to track the location of the accessory by displaying it on the map and can show the correct direction to it. After launching the software and selecting the “Devices” tab, you need to find “AirPods Headphones” in the list.
The position of the accessory is shown on the map and, by turning the smartphone or tablet, the user determines the direction towards it. If there is no connection, the status (offline), time and place from where the signal from the headset was recorded is displayed under the recording. This data allows you to find out the last location of the device and significantly reduce the search area.
Is it possible to block stolen (lost) AirPods?
On most Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad or Mac, you can use the Find My app to block them when they go missing. This stops anyone who finds your device from customizing it and using it as their own.
Combined with Activation Lock, this is a great way to deter potential thieves as it makes using stolen Apple devices incredibly difficult.
Unfortunately, none of these features are available for AirPods.
You can't lock missing AirPods or do anything to prevent the new owner from connecting them to their iPhone. Combined with the device's high price tag and its lightweight, compact design, this makes AirPods an attractive target for potential thieves.
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Is it possible to find headphones via Android?
Wunderfind app
Since its introduction, Apple's wireless headset has become popular among Android device users. The operating system allows you to pair with AirPods and use them with some restrictions. In particular, there is no access to Siri, the Ear detection sensor does not work correctly, the “double tap” function and checking the battery charge level are not configured.
Later, third-party developers offered applications such as AirBattery, Assistant Trigger and Wunderfind. However, neither Android nor the mentioned software support the “Find AirPods” function and they are not suitable for searching for a lost accessory. In this case, all that remains is to systematically inspect the entire room and furniture.
Using the search function in practice
Before moving on to the instructions for finding the lost item, you need to learn to recognize the system prompts. The Find My iPhone software shows the status of the device in color. So:
- green – the headphones are active, the sound will be audible, you can begin the search operation;
- blue – shows which mobile device is participating in the search;
- gray – AirPods are disconnected, discharged, out of Bluetooth range or in the case.
Well, now some useful information for those who have lost their AirPods headphones - a direct manual for finding them.
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Map to help
You can display a picture with the location of the Apple accessory using a PC or an iOS gadget. How will it be faster and easier? Comparison of methods is in the table.
| Search procedure | On the computer | Via iOS device |
| Stage 1 | Open the iCloud page. | Open Find My iPhone. |
| Stage 2 | Log in using your Apple ID username and password. | Sign in using your Apple ID and password. |
| Stage 3 | Open the Find iPhone software. | Find AirPods headphones in the list and click. |
| Stage 4 | Click on “All devices”, find AirPods headphones in the list, click. | — |
What should you do if you lost your AirPods (for example, these AirPods with Wireless Charging Case) in different places (for example, one is under the sofa, and the second is tangled in the pillows)? In such curious situations, the map shows the location of only one “drop”. You will have to search one by one. First, find one accessory, then update the map and go in search of the second. A real quest.
What to do if your AirPods case is lost?
The functionality of the iOS operating system does not provide the ability to search for a case for wireless headphones. The situation if you lose your headphones with their case is the most unpleasant. At the same time, the mentioned “Locator” and “Find AirPods” software allows you to find the headset, and there is a high probability that the charging case is somewhere nearby. You need to look around carefully and you will definitely find a small white box.
If your search for a Smart Case is unsuccessful, you will have to replace it. The manufacturer has provided the opportunity to purchase a separate charger or earphone for the American consumer. This service is not available in our country, but you can purchase the original case and headphones separately on one of the popular message boards. The secondary market for such devices is quite extensive and you can find a serviceable one.
Apple AirPods replacement cost:
AirPods (1st or 2nd generation): from 5,000 rubles for each earphone
Wireless charging case for AirPods: from 6,000 rubles.
AirPods charging case: from 5,000 rubles.
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Conclusions and recommendations
Answering the question of how to find AirPods, we looked at all the possibilities provided by the manufacturer and third-party developers. To quickly search for a Bluetooth headset, use the built-in “Find AirPods” function or special applications such as “Locator”.
You can detect a lost accessory indoors by an audio signal or by determining its geoposition. Looking for a headset on the street or if it has been stolen is almost hopeless. The mentioned software, when used correctly, greatly simplifies the process even if there is no connection with the device, saving data about its last location. If one of the headphones or the case is lost, any of the accessories, right or left, can be purchased through an ad on the Internet.
Can I buy the left or right earbud and AirPods charging case separately?
If someone stole your AirPods, the first thing you should do is report it to the police. If your home or property insurance covers AirPods, then you can use the police report when filing a claim with the insurance company. Without insurance, you'll have to pay to replace your AirPods.
Luckily, Apple offers a partial replacement service, so you can only replace the individual headphones or charging case you're missing.
This service is not cheap, so if you lose the entire set, it may be easier to buy new AirPods in a store.
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My model is not in the Find My iPhone app
The required device may not appear in the drop-down list. There are several reasons for this:
- Airpods are disconnected from the smartphone;
- the search function is not adjusted;
- The device is discharged or is in the charging container.
It is important to know 100% that you are holding an original model of headphones in your hands. Their main characteristics:
- perfect sound quality;
- ergonomic, stylish design;
- ease of use.
The original has integrated sensors. This is a black dot on the inside and outside. They do not have any buttons. The back of the device cover contains the serial number. When connecting to a device, the name is Airpods. The character sets “KL500” or “BN400” should not be displayed.
