- Learn how to track your AirPods
- Find out how to set up the ‘Find My’ app
- Check out our guide on how to buy one AirPod.
Given AirPods’ small size and daily use, it’s likely at some point, they will end up misplaced or lost. Luckily, tracking them is straightforward.
This guide will discuss the tracking options for AirPods of all generations and on different iOS versions. We also list steps for locating your earbuds on various devices.
💡QUICK ANSWER: To locate your missing AirPods, follow these steps:
- Click the Devices tab within the Find My app.
- Locate your earbuds from the list of devices.
- Tap the Play Sound button to initiate a gradually increasing sound to help locate them.
Can AirPods Be Tracked?
Yes, AirPods can be tracked using the ‘Find My’ feature. However, it has gone through several upgrades. Take a look at the differences below.
Before iOS 15
Before iOS 15, users can toggle the ‘Find My’ app on their iOS device when attempting to locate lost earbuds.
The app shows the last known location of the AirPods on a map and allows you to play a sound to help locate them. However, the app does not provide real-time location updates or directions to them.
In other words, you had to be within 30 feet of the missing AirPods to locate them.
After iOS 15
iOS 15 brought many perks, including the improved ‘Find My’ Network Feature.
The feature now uses the network of nearby Apple devices to guide you to your earbuds through real-time location updates and directions. Think of it like a proximity radar.
Using the ‘Find My’ App
When opening the Find My app, you’ll notice it has four tabs:
- People
- Devices
- Items
- Me
We’ll focus on the ‘Devices’ tab for the sake of this article.
Every Apple device you’ve signed into your iCloud account is listed under this tab. There’s also a map showing the location of each device.
Tap on the device in the list or the map to open a drop-down menu with detailed information about each device. You can tell when and where it was last used and its current battery level.
💡 Remember, the ‘Find My’ network feature still lets you find your AirPods if offline or inside their charging case. They just have to be powered on for this feature to work.
You may get a ‘No Location Found’ or ‘Offline’ notification if the earbuds are out of range. In this case, the only way to find them is to follow the directions to where they were last connected and evaluate from there.
If they are online, follow these steps:
- Click the Devices tab within the Find My app.
- Locate your AirPods from the list of devices associated with your Apple ID.
- Tap the Play Sound button to initiate a gradually increasing sound to help you locate them.
How To Use Separation Alerts
Separation Alerts will notify your iOS device when your AirPods are separated from it. It’s Apple’s way of minimizing the risk of them getting lost or misplaced. It also saves you the hassle of going on a scavenger hunt each time it happens.
To activate Separation Mode, follow these steps:
- Ensure that your AirPods are connected to your iOS device.
- Open the Settings app and select Bluetooth.
- Find your AirPods in the list of Bluetooth devices and tap the ‘i’ icon next to them.
- Scroll down to the Announce Messages section and tap ‘Announce Messages with Siri’.
- Tap the toggle switch next to Announce Messages.
- Tap ‘Announce Messages From’ and select ‘Messages’ (or any other app you want to receive alerts from).
- Return to the Bluetooth settings page and scroll down to the Notifications section.
- Tap the toggle switch next to ‘Announce When Left Behind’.
- Choose if you want to receive the Separation Alert notifications through your AirPods or iPhone.
How To Use Lost Mode
Another feature of the Find My app is Lost Mode. It sends you a message or email if someone finds your earbuds.
To turn this on, follow these steps:
- Open the Find My app on your iOS device.
- Select your AirPods in the devices tab.
- Scroll down and activate the Mark as Lost option.
- Then, follow the steps on the screen to share your contact information with anyone who finds your missing earbuds.
- Finally, select Activate.
How To Find Lost AirPods
Lost a single AirPod and still have the charging case? Place the remaining one inside, close the lid, and follow the steps in the next sections as standard.
On iOS
- Ensure the ‘Find My’ service is enabled on your iOS device.
- From here, enable Find My AirPods > Offline Finding > Show The Last Location Of My AirPods in the app.
On Windows
- Visit the iCloud website at www.icloud.com. Sign into your iCloud account using your Apple ID and password. You may need a verification code sent to your iOS device to log in properly.
- Head to the iCloud menu and select Find iPhone.
- You will see a map on your browser screen. Click on the All Devices tab, and a menu showing your trackable devices will appear.
- Your AirPods will appear as an option. Select them to find their location.
Using Bluetooth
As stated earlier, AirPods can be tracked using Bluetooth.
The downside of losing your AirPods in their charging case is that you cannot use the Find My app to locate them with Bluetooth, as they will not emit their locator signal.
They will also have to be within the Bluetooth range of your iOS device to be tracked.
You can follow the steps below to locate your AirPods via Bluetooth:
- Open the Find My app on your iOS device and locate your AirPods under the list of Available Devices.
- A map will appear showing the last known location of your AirPods.
- Select the ‘Play Sound’ option to activate it. A tone will play from your AirPods or case, increasing in volume as you get closer to them.
Before you go, find out what to do when you see an amber flashing light on your AirPods.
