Apple’s AirPods are one of the best earbuds you can buy, especially if you’re an iPhone user. These have good audio capabilities, nice build quality, and long-lasting battery life. They are also very easy to use and set up with iOS.
Speaking of iOS, when iOS 15 was announced earlier this year, it promised additional location features for the AirPods. While these weren’t exactly ready for the iOS 15 release, they are now here in the form of a firmware update to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.
These new features make finding your lost AirPods much easier and introduce some features first seen in Apple’s AirTags. Here is how to find your lost AirPods.
Where are my AirPods
The most important thing to know is that the best way you can find your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max is via the Find My app. This app is reserved for Apple devices only, but you can also access your Apple devices’ location at icloud.com/find .
Now the Find My app can not only show you the location of your devices but also how to find them. Introduced with the Apple AirTags, there is a ‘Find Nearby’ function in the app for the AirPods too. This function is supported by iPhone 11 and up and navigates you to where your AirTags or AirPods are hiding. Apple has equipped every iPhone since the 11 with an Ultra Wideband chip, which is required for precise close proximity locating of devices. Even if you use an older iPhone, there is still a ‘Find’ function in the app, which might not show you how far away and where your AirPods are, but it will still help you figure out if you’re getting closer.
AirPods are very cool but also very small, which makes them easy to lose
So without further ado, here are the five steps you should take to find your lost AirPods:
First, you need to open the ‘Find My’ app. If you don’t see it on your screen you can search for it by pulling down the search menu.
After you’ve opened the app you need to go into the ‘Devices’ section which is located at the bottom of the app.
In ‘Devices’ you can see all the devices linked to your phone and your AppleID account. Click on your AirPods to see their latest known location.
If the AirPods are with you, the app will tell you so next to their name in the ‘Devices’ tab. If not, it will tell you how far they were when they were last spotted.
The new ‘Find My’ location functions are only supported by the AirPods Pro and The AirPods Max. This means that if you have another model, the app will show where your phone or tablet last connected to the earbuds. If you have a Pro or a Max model the last known location can be provided by others’ Apple devices too.
Here is how to find your AirPods
What to do if you’ve lost your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max
After you’ve clicked on your AirPods in the ‘Find My’ app you are given a couple of options. If you’re sure the AirPods aren’t in your possession anymore you should click ‘Mark As Lost’. This way every iPhone or iPad that is near your AirPods will start sending you their location information immediately.
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If you see on the map that your AirPods are in your house or somewhere close to it, you can tap on ‘Play Sound’ and look for them. Even though the AirPods aren’t portable speakers, they still make a recognizable high-pitched sound which should make it easier for you to locate them.
Another solution to finding your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max is to use the ‘Find Nearby’ function. As mentioned earlier, this function requires you to have an iPhone 11 or newer and it displays how far and in which direction are your lost AirPods. If you have an older iPhone you are given the ‘Find’ option, which uses the connection signal to determine if you’re getting closer or farther from the device.
New AirTag-like functionality on the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max is very welcomed
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Iskren, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been passionate about technology since his childhood, sparked by his early experiences with phones like the Ericsson T28 and Sony Ericsson P910i. After earning a bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism, he turned his fascination with smartphones into a career, with a particular interest in Apple and Motorola. Outside of his tech pursuits, Iskren enjoys watching TV series, movies, driving, and has a deep passion for cars and Formula 1. He looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly the potential of rollable smartphones.
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