How to Find Lost AirPods Using Find My

If you misplace your AirPods, Apple's Find My app can show their last known location and play a sound to help you find them nearby.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Set up Find My for your AirPods (do this now)
2.Find your AirPods in the Find My app
3.Play a sound to locate AirPods nearby
4.Use Precision Finding to navigate to AirPods Pro

Set up Find My for your AirPods (do this now)

~34s

To use Find My for AirPods, the feature must be enabled. Go to Settings → [your name] → Find MyFind My iPhone → make sure "Find My network" is turned ON (this also covers AirPods). Your AirPods register with Find My when you first connect them to your iPhone. If Find My network was on when you paired them, they are already set up. No additional steps needed.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Keep your AirPods connected to your Apple ID by keeping them in their case and near your iPhone occasionally. This refreshes their location in the Find My network.

Find your AirPods in the Find My app

~28s

Open the "Find My" app on your iPhone (it comes pre-installed — search if you don't see it). Tap "Devices" at the bottom. Scroll through your devices to find your AirPods. Tap on them. A map appears showing their last known location — where they were most recently connected to Bluetooth with your iPhone. If the map shows your home, they are almost certainly somewhere in your house. If the location shows somewhere you recently visited, you may have left them there.

Play a sound to locate AirPods nearby

~35s

If Find My shows your AirPods nearby (the map shows your current location), tap "Play Sound." Each AirPod begins playing a chirping sound through its speaker. Individual left and right earbuds can be located separately — tap "Left" or "Right" to play sound from one at a time. Listen carefully and follow the sound. Note: AirPods in their charging case do not play the sound if the case is closed — try playing the sound, then opening the case.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: AirPods Pro can play the sound even when in the case. Standard AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation) only play the sound when out of the case.

Use Precision Finding to navigate to AirPods Pro

~27s

If you have AirPods Pro and an iPhone 11 or newer: in Find My, tap your AirPods → "Find." Your iPhone uses a combination of Bluetooth, sound, and motion sensing to provide directional arrows and a distance indicator. Walk toward the arrows, paying attention to the distance reading. When you get close, the iPhone will show "Found nearby" and the sound becomes louder. This is the most accurate way to find AirPods when they are in the same room.

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AirPods are small and can be easy to misplace. Fortunately, Apple's Find My network — the same system used to locate a lost iPhone or iPad — works with AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, and more limited tracking is available with standard AirPods (2nd generation and later).

Find My can show you the last location where your AirPods connected to your iPhone, play a sound through each earbud to help you hear where they are, and on AirPods Pro with Precision Finding (iPhone 11 and later with U1 chip), give directional arrows guiding you right to them.

This guide covers how to locate lost AirPods, and how to set up Find My in advance if you haven't already.

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