How to Find Dead AirPods

If you lose your AirPods and they’re dead, they’ll be impossible to find. You have your smartphone, wallet, and keys. But, where are your AirPods? AirPods that are still charged but out of their case can be found with Apple’s Find My app. If they ever go dead, the app can provide you with location information on their last known location, but you’ll mostly be left to your detective skills to locate them. If you’ve lost your AirPods, this guide will help you locate them via these methods.

How to find Airpods when they are dead?

Finding your lost AirPods can only be done successfully by using the “Find My” app. It can pinpoint the location within roughly 20 meters, and it is even more precise when using Bluetooth data if you lose one or both earbuds outside of the case. Please keep in mind that the Find My app works best when your AirPods have been misplaced separately – in other words, when one or both have disappeared from the case. If the Find My app remembers where they were the last time you used them, then you can (technically) still find the AirPods inside their charging case with the Find My app. Lastly, it is critical to point out that the Find My app is also designed to find devices that aren’t dead. If your AirPods are charged and within 30-50 feet, you can even play a sound directly through the app so you can find them more easily. If your AirPods are dead, the Find My app is considerably less effective. Although that is the case, you can still use it to find your missing, dead AirPods.

1. If they are Still in Bluetooth Range

The Find My app tells you the location of your AirPods if they died close to your phone, for example inside your home. The AirPods are still in that same place unless your family members are mischievous; they shouldn’t have moved since they died.  You should be able to track down your AirPods within just a few minutes using the Find My app. This is true even for dead AirPods; it will show you their last location while they were alive. You should follow those steps if you are using the Find My app to find your AirPods.

1. Open the Find My app

Find Mine is probably hidden in your app library, not even on your home screen if you have iOS 14 or higher. You can find it by pulling it down on your home screen if you have too many apps to find it.

2. Make sure you are on the Devices tab

      Once you’ve located the AirPods, select them from the list of Apple devices.

3. Click on the device to see its last known location on a map

     If you would like detailed directions that will take you directly to that location, tap Directions.

2. You’ve lost AirPods only, charged, in Bluetooth range

The “Play Sound” feature makes your AirPods make their distress signal when you drop them and they’re still charged. If you drop your AirPods and they’re still charged, you can use “Play Sound” to send them out to find you. You can also use this in a public place such as a grocery store or library if you don’t mind disturbing others? Of course, it’s most useful if you lose them at home, but could show useful in a public place like a grocery store or library also?  https://nightinnovations.com/

1. Navigate to Find My App

         You can find your AirPods on the Devices list if you’re on the Devices tab.

2. Click on Play Sound

          AirPods must be out of their cases and within range for this to work.

3. You’ll get an option to play the sound from the left, right, or both AirPods

         To stop the annoying sound once you locate them, simply press the stop button.

3. You’ve lost just one AirPod or both AirPods in two different locations

Occasionally you may lose an AirPod; sometimes when you take one out to hear something in the real world, you think you put it in a pocket, and it falls out. Just follow the instructions above to locate it. However, I have never lost one AirPod in one location, and then the other later in a different location. If this happens to you, I have a remedy.

1. Open the Find My app

          Do you think we have it figured out yet?

2. When you look at your AirPods on the map, it’ll arbitrarily show the location of one AirPod first

         There will be no sound with just one AirPod missing. Map your way there if needed.

3. Once you find the first AirPod, put it in the case

         You should see the second AirPod appear on the map after refreshing the page.

4. Map your way there

         You’ve found your second AirPod. You’ve reunited the pair. Bask in the relief.

4. You have lost just the Airpod case

There’s no way to find the AirPods case using the Find My app, only the earbuds themselves. My best advice is to retrace your steps, hope someone found it in the same spot that you dropped it, and take a cookie, coffee, or gift card to express your gratitude. Apple will sstitute one of the AirPods or the case, if needed, for a range of $ 59 – $ 99 depending on the part of the AirPods you need to replace. Hey, it’s Cheryl here with Apple.

Conclusion

If your AirPods are dead, finding them is neither straightforward nor easy. You will need to rely on your memory as well as the last known location of your AirPods in the Find My app. In time, you can (and will) find them if you are patient, thorough when searching, and do not panic. If you can, get an AirTag and keep it with your AirPods. That way, you’ll never have to guess their location again.