Use Find My to locate a missing AirPod
If you have lost one or both AirPods, Apple's Find My app can show you their last known location on a map. The app works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch — whichever device you have nearby. Find My only works if your AirPods were connected to your Apple account before they went missing, and if location services are turned on (which you just learned how to do).
Open Find My on any Apple device signed into your account. Tap or click the Devices tab at the bottom. Look for your AirPods in the list — they will show as "AirPods Pro", "AirPods Max", or whatever model you own. Tap or click the name. The app will display a map showing where your AirPods last sent a signal to Apple's servers. This is usually accurate to within a few hundred feet, though it depends on how many Apple devices are nearby to relay the location.
Key Takeaways
- Find My shows the last location where your AirPods connected to an Apple device, which is usually accurate to a few hundred feet in populated areas.
- You can play a sound through Find My to help locate your AirPods if they are nearby and still have battery.
- If your AirPods are offline and have not connected to any Apple device in days, Find My will show only the last place they were seen.
- Mark your AirPods as lost in Find My to prevent someone else from connecting them to their account, though this does not prevent them from using the AirPods themselves.
- If Find My shows your AirPods in a location you cannot reach or do not recognize, contact Apple Support or your local police department.
Play a sound to find AirPods nearby
If your AirPods are in your home, car, or somewhere close by, you can make them play a sound to help you locate them. In Find My, tap or click your AirPods name, then tap or click Play Sound. Your AirPods will emit a loud beeping noise for about two minutes. This only works if your AirPods still have battery and are within Bluetooth range of an Apple device on your account — usually 30 to 100 feet depending on obstacles.
If the sound does not help you find them, check places where they typically fall: between couch cushions, under car seats, in jacket pockets, or near where you usually charge them. If your AirPods are completely out of battery, they will not make a sound, so you will need to rely on the map location from Find My instead.
Understand what Find My can and cannot tell you
Find My shows the last location where your AirPods connected to an Apple device — usually your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. If your AirPods are still on and in range of any Apple device, the location updates in real time. If they are offline or out of battery, the map will show only the last place they were seen, which could be hours or days old.
Find My is less accurate in rural areas or places with few Apple devices nearby. In a city with many iPhones and Apple Watches, the location is usually within a few hundred feet. In a remote area, the last known location might be several miles away from where your AirPods actually are. The app cannot tell you whether your AirPods are inside a building or outside, or on which floor of a building they are located.
Mark your AirPods as lost to prevent unauthorized use
If you believe your AirPods have been stolen or are lost in a public place, you can mark them as lost in Find My. Open Find My, tap or click your AirPods, scroll down, and tap or click Mark as Lost. This prevents someone else from connecting your AirPods to their Apple account without your password. However, marking them as lost does not prevent someone from using them if they already have them — they can still listen to audio and make calls.
When you mark AirPods as lost, Find My will continue to show their location if they connect to any Apple device. You can also add a phone number or email address that will display on the AirPods' pairing screen, so if someone finds them and tries to set them up, they will see your contact information.
What to do if Find My shows an unfamiliar location
If your AirPods last connected in a place you do not recognize — a different city, a building you have never been to, or somewhere you cannot safely reach — they may have been taken. Write down the exact address or location from Find My. If you believe they were stolen, contact your local police department and provide them with the location and the date and time your AirPods last connected.
You can also contact Apple Support with your AirPods' serial number (found in Settings on any connected device, under Bluetooth). Apple cannot retrieve your AirPods for you, but they can confirm whether the location data is recent and help you decide whether to report them to police. In most cases, AirPods that have been missing for more than a few hours and are in an unknown location are not recoverable.
Check your AirPods battery and connection status
Before you search, check whether your AirPods are actually offline or just not connecting. On iPhone, open Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner (or up from the bottom on older iPhones). Look for the battery icon that shows your AirPods' charge level. If it shows 0% or no percentage at all, your AirPods are out of battery and will not respond to Find My's play sound feature.
If your AirPods show a low battery percentage but are not connecting to your phone, they may be in range but not paired. Try opening Bluetooth settings and forgetting your AirPods, then holding the setup button on the case for 15 seconds until the light flashes white. This resets them and may help them reconnect. If they still do not appear in Find My after 10 minutes, they are likely out of range or out of battery.
Retrace your steps if Find My shows no location
If Find My does not show any location for your AirPods at all, they either never connected to your account, or they have not connected to any Apple device since you lost them. Start by retracing your steps to the last place you remember using them. Check your car, your home, your workplace, and any place you visited that day. Look in pockets, bags, under seats, and in places where small objects typically fall.
If you still cannot find them after retracing your steps, contact the places you visited — restaurants, stores, gyms, or transit systems — and ask whether anyone turned in a pair of AirPods. Many businesses keep lost items for 30 days before discarding them. If you find your AirPods but they are not responding, they may be out of battery. Charge them in their case for at least 15 minutes before trying to reconnect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my AirPods if they are turned off?
No. AirPods do not have an on or off switch — they turn on automatically when you take them out of the case and turn off when you put them back in. If they are in the case and the case is out of battery, they cannot connect to Find My. If the case has battery but the AirPods themselves are dead, they will not connect either. Charge the case for at least 15 minutes and try again.
Will Find My work if someone else is using my AirPods?
If someone connects your AirPods to their Apple account, Find My will stop showing their location to you. However, if they have not yet connected them to their account, Find My will continue to track them. If you marked your AirPods as lost before someone else paired them, your contact information will appear on their screen during setup, though they can dismiss it.
How accurate is the location Find My shows?
In cities with many Apple devices, Find My is usually accurate to within a few hundred feet. In rural areas or places with few iPhones nearby, the location could be several miles off. The accuracy also depends on how recently your AirPods last connected — if they have been offline for days, the location is older and less useful for finding them.
Can I use Find My on a computer if I do not have an iPhone?
Yes. Open iCloud.com on any web browser, sign in with your Apple ID, and click Find My. You can see your AirPods' location and play a sound from there, just as you would on an iPhone. You will need to be signed into the same Apple account that your AirPods are connected to.
What should I do if I find someone else's AirPods?
If the AirPods have battery, put them in their case and wait a few seconds. A notification may appear on your device with the owner's contact information. If no notification appears, you can take them to an Apple Store — staff can look up the owner using the serial number on the case. If you found them in a public place like a restaurant or transit system, turn them in to the lost and found there first.