Use Find My to locate your AirPods right now
If your AirPods are within Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch, Find My can show you exactly where they are on a map. Open Find My on any of your Apple devices, tap the Devices tab at the bottom, select your AirPods from the list, and the app will display their location. If they are nearby but you cannot see them, tap Play Sound to make them beep — this works even if they are in their case.
Find My works because your AirPods are already connected to your Apple ID. You do not need to set anything up or turn on any special feature. The moment you pair your AirPods with your device, they are automatically registered in Find My and ready to be tracked.
If your AirPods are not showing up in Find My, they are either out of Bluetooth range, powered off, or disconnected from your Apple ID. The next sections cover what to do in each situation.
Key Takeaways
- Open Find My on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch and tap Devices to see your AirPods location on a map.
- Tap Play Sound in Find My to make your AirPods beep if they are nearby but hidden.
- If your AirPods do not appear in Find My, they are out of Bluetooth range or powered off — check the last known location where they were connected.
- Mark your AirPods as lost in Find My to lock them and prevent someone else from using them with their own device.
- If you cannot find them after searching, you can erase them from your Apple ID and pair a new set.
Check the last known location if your AirPods are offline
When your AirPods are out of Bluetooth range or powered off, Find My still shows you the last place they were connected to your device. Open Find My, tap Devices, select your AirPods, and look at the location shown on the map. This is where they were last seen, not where they are now, but it tells you where to start looking.
The timestamp next to the location tells you how long ago they were last connected. If it says "Last seen 2 hours ago at Home," your AirPods were in your home two hours ago but may have moved since then. If the timestamp says "Last seen 3 days ago," they have been offline for three days and the location is less reliable.
Go to that last known location and search carefully. Check under couch cushions, in jacket pockets, on nightstands, and in bags. Turn on lights and use your phone's flashlight. If you find them, put them in their case to charge them — they may have run out of battery, which is why they stopped showing up in Find My.
Make your AirPods beep to find them in your home
If Find My shows your AirPods are nearby but you cannot see them, use the Play Sound feature to make them beep. Open Find My, tap Devices, select your AirPods, and tap Play Sound. Your AirPods will emit a loud beeping noise for about two minutes, even if they are in their case.
Walk around your home while listening for the beep. It gets louder as you get closer. Check the most common places first: next to your bed, on your desk, in the kitchen, or in the pockets of clothes you wore recently. The beeping will help you narrow down which room they are in.
If you still cannot find them after the sound stops, wait a few minutes and play the sound again. You can repeat this as many times as you need. If your AirPods are completely dead and have no battery left, they will not beep, so this method only works if they have at least a small amount of charge.
Mark your AirPods as lost if you think they are gone for good
If you have searched everywhere and cannot find your AirPods, mark them as lost in Find My. This prevents someone else from pairing them with their own Apple ID and using them. Open Find My, tap Devices, select your AirPods, scroll down, and tap Mark as Lost.
Once marked as lost, your AirPods will not connect to any device, including yours. If someone finds them and tries to pair them, they will see a message saying the AirPods are marked as lost and cannot be used. You can also add a phone number or email address to the lost AirPods so that if someone finds them, they can contact you.
Marking them as lost does not erase them from your account permanently. If you find them later, you can go back into Find My and remove the lost status, and they will work again.
Erase your AirPods from your Apple ID if you want a fresh start
If you have given up on finding your AirPods and want to pair a new set, erase the old ones from your Apple ID first. Open Find My, tap Devices, select your AirPods, scroll down, and tap Remove This Device. This erases them from your account completely.
After you remove them, they will no longer appear in Find My and will not connect to any of your devices. If you later find the old AirPods, you can pair them again as if they were brand new, but they will not automatically connect to your devices the way they did before.
Once you have erased the old AirPods, you can pair your new ones. Put the new AirPods in their case, hold them near your iPhone or iPad, and follow the pairing instructions that appear on your screen. They will automatically be added to your Apple ID and will show up in Find My.
Retrace your steps if Find My shows them far from home
If Find My shows your AirPods at a location away from your home — like your workplace, a store, or a friend's house — retrace your steps to that place. Think about the last time you remember having them. Did you use them on your commute? Did you take them out at a coffee shop? Did you leave them in a car?
Call the location where you think you left them and describe your AirPods. Most businesses will check their lost and found. If you left them in a car, check the seats, cup holders, door pockets, and under the floor mats. If you left them at a friend's house, call and ask them to check their couch, kitchen counter, and bathroom.
If you find them at that location, ask someone to hold them for you or go pick them up right away. Once you have them back, put them in their case to charge. If the location is far away and you cannot retrieve them, you may decide it is not worth the trip and choose to erase them from your account instead.
Check your AirPods battery and case if they keep disconnecting
Sometimes AirPods disappear from Find My because their battery is too low. If your AirPods are running on very little power, they may disconnect from your device before you realize they are gone. Put them in their case immediately when you are done using them so they charge.
If your AirPods case itself is dead, your AirPods will drain their battery much faster because they cannot charge. Plug your case into a Lightning cable or USB-C cable (depending on your model) and let it charge for at least 15 minutes. Then put your AirPods in the case and let them charge for another 15 minutes before taking them out again.
If your AirPods keep disconnecting even after charging, they may have a hardware problem. In that case, you can take them to an Apple Store for repair or replacement, or erase them from your account and pair a new set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find my AirPods if they are turned off?
Find My will show you the last location where your AirPods were connected, but it cannot track them once they are powered off. If they are off, go to that last known location and search manually. If you find them, put them in their case to charge and they will reconnect to your device.
What if someone else found my AirPods and is using them?
If your AirPods are showing a location you do not recognize and you think someone else has them, mark them as lost in Find My. This will prevent them from connecting to any device. You can also contact local police if you believe they were stolen rather than lost.
Do I need to turn on location services to use Find My for AirPods?
Yes, location services must be turned on for Find My to work. Go to Settings, tap Privacy, tap Location Services, and make sure it is turned on. Then scroll down and make sure Find My has location services turned on as well.
Can I find my AirPods if they are in their case?
Yes. Find My tracks your AirPods even when they are in the case. You can use Play Sound to make them beep inside the case, which helps you locate the case itself. The beeping will be slightly muffled but still loud enough to hear.
What should I do if Find My is not showing my AirPods at all?
Make sure your AirPods are paired with your Apple ID by going to Settings, tapping Bluetooth, and checking that your AirPods appear in the list. If they do not appear, they may not be paired. If they are paired but do not show in Find My, try signing out of your Apple ID and signing back in on your device.