How to find lost AirPods – here are 3 different ways

Have you ever lost your AirPods? You are not alone. Whether you accidentally left them in the taxi or they got stuck behind a pillow, there is a way to locate them.

Via crowdsourcing Find mine network, which uses Bluetooth signals from other Apple devices to determine your device’s location and send it back to you, you can track or find the last location of your AirPods using the app on Apple devices or on the web.

You will be able to use this service with all AirPods models, however some features are only available for AirPods Pro 2such as the ability to check the location of all AirPods and cases at once (older models only show one earphone at a time) or use ultra-precise ultra-wideband (UWB) localization.

Below we describe the different steps you can follow to find your missing AirPods using your iOS device, iCloud, or by playing audio from the headphones themselves.

Steps to find your AirPods

• Turn something on Find mine

• Find your AirPods using your iOS device

• Find your AirPods using iCloud

• Play audio from your AirPods

Tools and requirements

• AirPods

• An Apple device, such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac, on which you can use Find My

• Any web browser that supports the iCloud web app

• Wi-Fi or cellular connection

Step by step guide

1. How to enable Find My

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To ensure you can use Apple’s crowdsourced Find My service, you must first enable it Find my network going to yours Settings app on any iOS device and search Find mine. To choose Find my (device) (this will vary depending on the device you are using) and make sure it is turned on.

Then turn on Find my networkwhich will allow you to see the location of your Apple AirPods 3, AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Max. It’s also good to check this Find my network is turned on for AirPods by checking your AirPods settings and making sure the switch is turned on.

This is an important first step because if you don’t turn this option on, you won’t be able to find your AirPods. Check out our guide if you want more detailed instructions on the subject How to use Find My.

2. How to find AirPods using your iOS device

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Once you’ve set up Find My on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, you’ll be able to use the app to locate your AirPods on a map. To do this, you need to open the file Find mine application, select Devices and select your AirPods, which will display their location on the map.

If you have AirPods Pro 2, you will also be able to see the location of each pod individually (see photo) as well as the case. However, with most AirPods models, you can only see the location of one pod at a time, so you’ll need to find the one that’s visible before locating the other pod.

The process is the same if you have a Mac. You’ll be able to access it through the Find My app by searching for it in your apps or using Spotlight search. Click next Devices and you will be able to see all connected devices and their location. Check out our guide for more detailed instructions on the subject How to use Find My on Mac.

3. How to find AirPods using iCloud

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You can also use Locator via a web browser with iCloud. Open your browser and search icloud.com/find. This will take you to a page that will ask you to sign in with your Apple ID. After logging in, select All devices to open a map with their location.

Select your AirPods from the list and it will display your current or last known location on the map along with a timestamp of the last time that location was recorded. It should be noted that this method is less current than the Find My app itself, so try to use it whenever possible.

4. How to find AirPods near you

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Despite the different sizes of silicone ear tips that help the AirPods stay in your ear, they can and still do fall out. In situations where you know they are close, you can turn on the sound for them so you can tell where they are.

You can do this by opening the Find My app and selecting Devices and select AirPods. This will display a new set of options, including capabilities Play sound. If you have AirPods Pro 2, you can also play audio from the case.

If you have AirPods 3, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, you can use your iPhone to see if you’re getting close to them and if you’re close enough that the map isn’t as useful. In the same menu, tap Find then start moving to determine if you are closer or farther (basically a game of hot and cold).

AirPods Pro 2 takes this to the next level – thanks to the UWB chip, your iPhone can literally point you in the right direction and let you know how far you are from it.

Final thoughts

Losing one of best AirPods is never fun, but I hope these steps can help you in some way. If all else fails, there’s always a trusted method to retrace your steps and see where you may have lost your AirPods.

Unfortunately, if your AirPods display a message that says No location found then you will only be able to use their last location to get an idea of ​​where they might be. If you’ve lost another Apple device, check out our guides how to find a missing apple watch AND how to find lost iphone.