Use Find My to locate your AirPod case if location services are on
If you turned on location services for your AirPods (which happens automatically when you first pair them), you can find your case using the Find My app on any Apple device. Open Find My, tap the Items tab at the bottom, select your AirPods from the list, and the app will show you the last known location on a map. This works whether your case is powered on or off — the location data comes from your paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac, not from the case itself.
The accuracy depends on how recently your case was near one of your Apple devices. If your case left your home an hour ago and hasn't been near any of your devices since, Find My will show you where it was an hour ago, not where it is now. The app updates the location only when your case is in range of a device that can connect to it.
If location services are off on all your devices, Find My cannot show you anything — there is no location data to display. You will need to turn location services back on and wait for your case to come within range of one of your devices before the map updates.
Key Takeaways
- Find My shows the last place your AirPod case was near one of your Apple devices, not its current location in real time.
- Your case must have been paired with your Apple ID and location services must be on for Find My to work at all.
- If your case is in a location where it will never be near your phone, iPad, or Mac again, Find My cannot help you find it.
- Retracing your steps to the last known location on the map is usually faster than waiting for the location to update.
Check the last known location on the map
When you open Find My and tap your AirPods, the app shows a map with a pin marking the last place the case was detected. This is your starting point. Write down the address or take a screenshot, then go to that location and search the area — under car seats, between couch cushions, in jacket pockets, or anywhere you might have set it down.
The map shows a general area, not a precise spot. Depending on the building and how many Apple devices are nearby, the pin might be accurate to within a few feet or a few hundred feet. If the location is your home or office, the pin might just show your building. Start your search at the pin and work outward in a grid pattern.
Play a sound on your AirPods if they are in range
If your case is somewhere in your home or nearby, you can make your AirPods play a sound to help you find them. In the Find My app, select your AirPods and tap Play Sound. Your AirPods will emit a loud beeping noise for a few seconds — loud enough to hear from across a room, but not so loud it will damage your hearing if you hold them to your ear.
This only works if your case is within Bluetooth range of your iPhone or other device — roughly 30 feet in an open space, less through walls. If your case is in another building or more than a block away, the sound will not play because the case is out of range.
Ask Siri to find your AirPods
On any Apple device, you can say "Hey Siri, find my AirPods" and Siri will open Find My and show you the location. This is the same information the app shows, just accessed through voice. It is useful if you are already holding something else or if you want to check the location without unlocking your device.
Siri will also tell you if your AirPods are offline or if location services are off. If Siri says "I can't find your AirPods," it usually means either the case has not been near any of your devices recently, or location services is disabled.
What to do if Find My shows no location at all
If you open Find My and your AirPods do not appear in the Items list, or if they appear but show no location, one of three things is true: location services is off on all your devices, your AirPods were never set up with Find My, or your case has never been near any of your Apple devices since you lost it.
Check that location services is on by going to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tapping Privacy, and confirming Location Services is toggled on. On a Mac, go to System Settings, click Privacy & Security, and check that Location Services is enabled. If location services was off the entire time you owned the case, Find My has no location history to show you.
If location services was always on but Find My still shows nothing, your case may have been lost before you paired it with your Apple ID, or it may have been lost in a place where it never came within range of any of your devices.
Search your home and common places first
Before relying on Find My, search the places where you most often use your AirPods: your bedroom, car, desk, bathroom, and the areas between them. Check under cushions, in pockets of jackets and bags, between car seats, and on nightstands. Most lost AirPod cases are found within 10 feet of where they were last used, straightforward because people set them down and forget.
If you find your case but it is not responding to your iPhone, it may have a dead battery. Plug it into a Lightning cable for 15 to 20 minutes and try again. If the case still does not connect, it may have been damaged, but the case itself can be replaced separately without losing your AirPods.
Consider the cost of replacing just the case
If you cannot find your case after searching and checking Find My, you can buy a replacement case from Apple without replacing the AirPods themselves. A replacement case costs between $60 and $80 depending on the model, while a full new set of AirPods costs $130 to $250. Your AirPods will work with the new case as soon as you pair them.
You can order a replacement case from Apple's website, from an Apple Store, or from authorized retailers like Best Buy. You will need to know which AirPod model you own — AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirPods (2nd generation), or another version — because each model has its own case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my AirPod case if location services is off?
No. Find My requires location services to be on to record and display location data. If location services is off on all your devices, there is no location history to show. Turn location services on now, but understand that it will only help you find the case if it comes within range of one of your devices in the future.
Will Find My work if my AirPods are dead?
Yes. Find My shows the last location where your case was near one of your Apple devices, regardless of whether the AirPods themselves have battery. The location data is stored on your phone or computer, not on the AirPods.
What if the map shows my case is at my home but I cannot find it there?
The map shows a general area, not a precise location. Search thoroughly — check inside bags, under furniture, in coat pockets, and anywhere you might have set the case down. If you still cannot find it after a thorough search, it may have been picked up by someone else or moved to a different location.
Can someone else use Find My to track my AirPods?
Only if they have access to your Apple ID and are signed into Find My on their own device. Your AirPods are tied to your Apple ID, so only you and anyone you share your Apple ID with can see their location. If you are concerned about unauthorized access, change your Apple ID password.
How long does Find My keep location history?
Find My shows only the most recent location, not a history of everywhere your case has been. Once your case moves out of range of all your devices, the location stops updating and you will see only the last place it was detected.