What if your AirPods get lost, or worse, stolen? AirPods are wireless earbuds that work well with all Apple products, but what if they get lost or stolen? If the thief has an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, they can easily reset the device and make it their own.
AirPods cannot be blocked from being used by someone else if they are lost or stolen. It is not possible to control or lock the AirPods remotely because they do not connect to Wi-Fi. Obviously, this isn’t the answer you wanted, but if you’re lucky, you might be able to locate your AirPods before someone steals them.
If you can’t block someone from using your AirPods, you may wonder why this article exists. Many people are interested in knowing the answer to this question. They should realize the truth, but they may also think they were stolen when they were lost. As a result, this article explains how to locate AirPods and how they can become lost forever. By performing a simple process before you lose your AirPods, you can prevent losing them in the future.
Table of Contents
Confirm That Your Airpods or Either Lost or Stolen
They may have been knocked over by the cat, but you think they were grabbed by someone. When something else interrupted you, you left the charging/storage case behind. There is a possibility that your AirPods were stolen, but the person hasn’t used them yet. You may actually be able to recover them if you act quickly and figure out where they went. For more information, continue reading.
How to Find Lost AirPods
AirPods rely heavily on your iPhone to connect to them since they use Bluetooth technology. Since they don’t have Wi-Fi connections, they’re hard to locate individuals. No matter what, don’t give up. The AirPods you lost can be found in a couple of ways.
When you lose your AirPods, Apple knows how frustrating it can be.
- Bluetooth must be enabled on your phone or device. It is still possible for your AirPods to function and connect to your device if you have lost them recently.
- Give your phone some time to connect to your AirPods at several recent locations, area by area. It may save you from having to make another purchase if you are patient.
- Retrace your steps if your AirPods are off or discharged. Each area should be examined under, around, and nearby. Make sure you check crevices in couches, pockets, baskets, boxes, and cabinets.
- See if your family and friends have used your AirPods. There are times when others “borrow” your items without your permission, or you let them use them when they need them.
- Even if you still can’t find your AirPods, check common locations (not necessarily recent ones), because life moves fast, and it is easy to forget where you put your keys or iPhone.
- Seek help from Apple if all else fails. Locate your AirPods using the iCloud website on a PC, assuming they weren’t stolen. Below are more details.
- If the AirPods are still set up on your device and no one else reset them to work on theirs, you can also use the “Find My iPhone app” available in the App Store. Below you will find more information.
You should act immediately if you think your AirPods have been stolen! Your AirPods may still be connected to your iCloud account if you’re lucky. Unless you have misplaced them, there is nothing you can do.
Let’s get to the application of this app, as this process sounds complicated in theory.
How to Locate Your AirPods using iCloud
You might be able to find your AirPods using the iCloud website method if you lost them. Here are the steps you need to follow.
- On your computer, go to the iCloud find page.
- Your AirPods must be linked to an Apple account.
- The “Find My iPhone” website feature (not the app) initiates the search process. That’s correct, even though you want to search for your AirPods.
- Unless you have an iPhone and it’s on, the page will say that all devices are offline. Go to the “All Devices” tab and select “AirPods.”
- On the map, you’ll see your AirPods pinpointed if the search is successful. When connected to your iPad or iPhone, they will appear as a green dot. Gray dots indicate that they are offline or cannot be found.
- Click on the green dot if your AirPods were found (green dot). On the window that appears, click the “I” button.
- The AirPods will emit a loud noise when you click on “Play Sound.”
- The left or right Airpod can be muted, or the sound can be stopped. If you’ve lost only one Airpod, this is useful. This sound isn’t something you want blasting in your ears.
If you remember where you last used the AirPods, look around your house or in the area where you last used them. You should be able to locate them with this loud noise. Drop your AirPods in different locations and only find one of them. Place the found AirPod back into the case so it doesn’t alarm, then do the same to find the other one.
Reasons Why the Find My iPhone App Can’t Locate Your AirPods
The Find my iPhone app will show your AirPods as a gray dot if they appear as gray dots. Their last location is only shown here, i.e., where they last connected to your iPhone.
Gray dots can occur for a variety of reasons.
- Before losing your AirPods, you must install the Find My iPhone app. Having this strategy set up as soon as you buy them is the best defense against losing them.
- It’s possible that you’ve lost your AirPods because the battery is dead; if the battery is dead, they can’t be found. It is also possible that they are out of range. They can be found within a close radius of the Apple device to which they are connected (Bluetooth range).
- The AirPods case may be containing your AirPods. While they’re in the case, they can’t be connected to your device.
I hope this article helped you find your AirPods, or at least kept better track of them using the iCloud Find My iPhone web page or Find My Phone app. As a result, AirPods are harder to find than iPhones because iPhones are always online (when turned on) and can, therefore, be tracked more easily. The proximity of your iOS device determines whether you can find your AirPods.
You are unlikely to be able to locate your AirPods if they are stolen. It is a harsh reality that this problem exists. You can at least get a replacement Airpod or case if you lose just one. In order to contact Apple support, you’ll need the serial number of your AirPods.
You will have to pay an additional fee for these replacements, but this is less than the cost of a new set.
Lost or Stolen AirPods FAQs
Even though Apple usually offers excellent device protection features, you cannot prevent your stolen AirPods from being used. If the person has not used them yet and they are still linked to your device, you can track and locate them. The only way to recover them if you can’t find them is if the thief changes his mind, or if you catch him. As an identification method, perhaps you can mark them in some way.
Unfortunately, no. AppleCare is more of an extended warranty than an insurance policy. You will get support if something goes wrong with your AirPods (they quit charging, there’s no sound, etc.), but you won’t get a replacement if they’re lost or stolen.
Not at all. Fortunately, if you lose one component (the charging case or one pod), you can have it replaced at a lower cost than buying a whole new set at your local Apple Store. In the case of Gen 1 or Gen 2 AirPods, charging cases are interchangeable, so if that’s the piece that’s missing, you might be able to borrow another. For more information on replacing lost components, visit the Apple Website.