Can I track my stolen Airpods?

By: Emmanuel

Can I track my Airpods if they are stolen?

Yes, you can track your stolen Airpods using the “Find my” app on your Apple device when it is within a proximity of 40 feet. To be able to use it to locate your Airpods, you must first configure the “Find my” before the Airpods get stolen or missing. To find your Airpods through this means, the Airpods should satisfy the following conditions:

The Airpods must be connected to the iPhone tracking it through Bluetooth.
The Airpods should be powered on and should have adequate charge.
They must either be out of the Airpods case or should be in an open Airpods case. This is due to the fact that once the Airpods case is closed, they lose all connections and start charging.
It also helps if your iPhone is connected to the internet in order to display the last known location of the Airpod if it is out of Bluetooth range.

“Find My” is the most reliable way to track a stolen or missing Airpod. It is difficult to find any other Apple service that will be able to find your Airpods.

How to track stolen or missing Airpods

If your Airpods are stolen, you can use the “Find my” app to track them down by following these steps:

Ensure the Apple device you are using to track the Airpods is updated to the latest software.
Open the “Find my” app on your iPhone and tap on the Devices tab.
Tap on your Airpods from the list of devices.
If it finds the Airpods, it will display its location on a map on the screen. It will display “No location” if it doesn’t find it.
If found, it will also show three options on the screen: Play Sound, Find nearby, and Notifications. Choose one or all three options per your requirement to begin tracking the Airpods.
After selecting an option or multiple options, follow further instructions on the screen depending on your selection to find your Airpods.
Use “Find my” on icloud.com if you are looking for your Airpods from a computer.

The easiest means is to select “Play sound”. Your AirPods will start playing a sound that will help you locate them if they are close by. If your AirPods are stolen, the thief might not be able to disable this feature.

Also, you can enable notifications for when your Airpods are online and offline. This way, even if the Airpods are turned off or out of range, you will still get a notification as soon as they come back online.

This option is helpful if you think your AirPods have been stolen and the thief has turned them off to avoid being tracked.

Enabling all three options simultaneously will give you the best chance of finding your AirPods if they are stolen or missing.

Lastly, your can attach third-party tracking devices to the Airpods case. These devices use specialized apps to track the devices they are attached to.

How to find two separated missing or stolen Airpods one at a time

When your AirPods or AirPods Pro are missing/stolen and separated, you may only see one Airpod’s location at a time on the map. Locate the AirPod or AirPod Pro that is displayed on the map and put it back in its case. Then refresh the map to look for the other one following the steps in Paragraph 2.

How far can Airpods be tracked if stolen?

The Airpods can be tracked up to a distance of 40 feet if they are within the Bluetooth range. If your Airpods are not within the Bluetooth range, the “Find my” app will still show you the last known location of your AirPods on a map.

This is helpful if you think your AirPods have been stolen and taken away from the vicinity. You can then use this information to provide to the police to help them track down the thief.

If you cannot find your Airpods even after following all the steps, then you can assume that they are lost and cannot be recovered. In such a case, you can contact Apple customer service to deactivate your Airpods so that they cannot be used by anyone else.

What do I do if my Airpods are stolen?

If your AirPods are stolen, the first thing you should do is try to track them using the “Find my” app. If you are unable to find them, then you can assume that they are lost and contact Apple customer service to deactivate them.

How to prevent your Airpods from getting stolen or forgotten

You can take some preventative measures to avoid your Airpods from being stolen in the first place:

Do not leave your Airpods lying around in public places.
Be aware of your surroundings when wearing Airpods and keep them close by so that they cannot be easily snatched away.
Invest in a case or cover that conceals your Airpods so that they are not as visible and attractive to thieves.
Set up notifications from the Notification tab of the “Find my” app by toggling on the “Notify when left behind” toggle. This will send you a notification when you move a certain distance from the Airpods so you won’t forget them.

Can I track my Airpods if someone else is connected to them?

No, you cannot. Once Airpods are paired with a new device, they will no longer appear in the Find My app. Airpods can only be tracked if they are connected to an iOS device signed in with your Apple ID.

If you’ve already set up ‌”Find My‌” on your AirPods, you can use it to find your AirPods when they are connected to any of your devices.

How do I find my Airpods with a case closed?

Unfortunately, you cannot find an Airpod that is in a closed case. AirPods in a closed case disconnect from devices and start charging. Hence, you cannot connect to an Airpod in a closed or dead case.

The only way to track closed Airpods is by checking the last known location in the “Find my” app. You can also set up notifications so that you can be alerted when the Airpods come back online.

If you cannot find your Airpods even after following all the steps, then you can assume that they are lost and cannot be recovered.

Can you find the owner of Airpods?

The owner of a lost Airpod can be found if he had shared his contact information on the Airpods when he activated “Lost mode”. When someone finds the Airpods and connects to it, the contact information of the previous owner will be displayed. This feature is only available for Airpods (3rd generation), Airpods Pro, and Airpods Max.

To activate lost mode on the Airpods, follow the steps below:

Open your “Find my” app on your Apple device.
Choose your Airpods from the device tab.
Select “Mark as Lost” from the menu, then “Activate.”
Follow the instructions onscreen and input your contact information so it can be displayed when your missing Airpods are found.

Can I track Airpods case?

No, you cannot track an Airpods case because Apple didn’t build any GPS capability into it

. Although, you can attach 3rd party tracking devices with specialized apps to track your Airpods.

Can you track Airpods with serial numbers?

Airpods serial numbers cannot be used to track them, but the serial numbers can be used to request for replacement of a missing Airpod or case from Apple support. If you get another case, you can learn how to connect Airpods to a different case here.

Can you block lost or stolen Airpods from getting used?

Unfortunately, no. Once the Airpods are out of range or have powered down, you may only see the Airpod’s last known location, but you cannot prevent a thief from using the Airpods if they connect to it.

Can stolen Airpods be used by other iPhones?

Yes, stolen Airpods can be connected to and used by other iPhones aside from the owner’s iPhone. Airpods can only be connected to one iPhone at a time, but it can be repaired with other iPhones.

Frequently Asked Questions about stolen or missing Airpods

Q. I think my Airpods have been stolen, what should I do?

A. If you think your Airpods are stolen, the first thing you should do is go to the “Find My” app on your iPhone and check the last known location of your Airpods. If the app cannot help you, then you can assume that they are lost and may not be recovered.

Q. Will Apple replace my Airpods if they are lost or stolen?

A. No, Apple will not replace your Airpods for free if they are lost or stolen because it is not covered under their warranty.

Q. Do Airpods have a GPS tracker?

A. No, Airpods do not have a GPS tracker. Instead, your devices’ wireless and Bluetooth transmissions will be pinged to other internet-connected iPhones, which will then transmit your device’s data to Apple’s “Find My Network” service, which allows you to locate it.

Q. Can I track my Airpods if they are stolen and disconnected from my iPhone?

A. No, you cannot track Airpods that are disconnected from your iPhone because they do not emit any sound when they are not connected to an iOS device. The only way to find them is by checking the last known location in the “Find My” app.

Q. I found someone’s Airpods, how can I return them to the owner?

A. If you found someone’s Airpods, you can return it to the owner if they had shared their contact information on the Airpods when they activated “Lost mode”. When you connect to the Airpods, the contact information of the previous owner will be displayed. This feature is only available for Airpods ( 3rd generation), Airpods Pro, and Airpods Max.

Q. How do I know if my Airpods are stolen or just lost?

A. If your Airpods are lost, you can use the “Find My” app on your iPhone to locate them. If your Airpod is stolen, then you cannot track them because the thief will probably put them off, disconnect them or reset them.

Wrap up

In conclusion, you can track your Airpods if they are stolen by using the “Find My” app on your iPhone if they are still connected to your phone and are in close proximity to you.

Otherwise, you may have to accept that your Airpods are gone and you will need to replace them.

If you have any other questions about tracking Airpods or anything else related to Airpods, feel free to leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading.

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