How to find your lost AirPods case

Losing your AirPods case can be frustrating and is probably one of the biggest problems you might encounter with earbuds. Luckily, Apple has built in a solution to help you locate your lost items with its powerful Find My app. Here’s how to use this feature to find your lost AirPods case, whether it’s your AirPods Pro or your AirPods, two of the best wireless earbuds on the market.

Prepare before you lose it

Your AirPods can only be located using the Find My app if you set them up to do so when you purchased them. Fortunately, Apple has made this process easier for you. When you paired your AirPods with your iPhone or other Apple device, the earbuds automatically connected to the Find My app. Without pairing, you wouldn’t have been able to use the AirPods in the first place, so you’ve almost certainly already taken this important step.

Use the Find My app

If you’ve misplaced your AirPods case and need help finding it, don’t worry. If it’s close, you should be able to find them via Bluetooth, regardless of the AirPods model.

If you have AirPods (3rd generation, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max), you should be able to locate the case using Apple’s Find My network. This means that even if your AirPods are offline, out of Bluetooth range, or have a low battery, you can always use the network of Apple devices to find them.

Step 1: Press the Find my app on your paired device, such as your iPhone or iPad.

2nd step: Then press the Devices tongue. This is the location where you should find all Apple devices associated with your Apple ID.

Step 3: Scroll and select your AirPods from the list.

Step 4: View the map on the Find My app. If the map shows your AirPods are nearby, you can use the app to play a sound to help you locate them. To do this, press the Play sound button.

Step 5: If the AirPods case is not nearby and the model supports the Find My network, you can use the in-app navigation system to locate it. Look on the map to find its general location, then tap Findthen follow the on-screen instructions to find your AirPods.

If you have an old pair of AirPods, you can check the map to see its Last known locationwhere the headphones were last connected to your iPhone.

What if the AirPods were really lost?

If you can’t find your AirPods using the previous tools, you can report them as missing in the Find My app. In the app, under AirPods, scroll down and enable Lost Fashion.

Follow the on-screen instructions to lock your device. As part of this process, you will also be asked to add a contact phone number or email address. If someone finds your AirPods, a message with this information will appear on their iPhone.

Note: Your missing AirPods can only work with your Apple ID, so anyone who finds them won’t be able to use them.

So the AirPods have to be in the case?

Unfortunately, to find your AirPods using the steps above, the AirPods will need to be placed in the AirPods case unless you have AirPods Pro (2nd generation). If you have AirPods Pro (2nd generation), you can still find the case even if the AirPods aren’t there.

If you have the AirPods case but lost one of the AirPods, you can replace it by contacting Apple.

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