How to find lost AirPods with Find My

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

AirPods are added to Find My by themselves when you pair them with an iPhone that has Find My switched on. That lets you look for them on a map, make them beep, and with the newer models be led to them within a room. It works best while they still have charge.

Menu names are from recent versions of iOS.

Step by step

1. Open Find My

   Open the Find My app on your iPhone, tap Devices at the bottom and tap your AirPods in the list. No iPhone to hand? Sign in at icloud.com/find on any computer or use the app on an iPad or Mac.

   Done

2. Look at the map

   The map shows where the AirPods are, or where they were when they were last in contact. If the two AirPods are in different places, the map shows one at a time: find the first, put it in the case, and refresh the map for the second.

   Done

3. Play a sound

   If the place is where you are, tap Play Sound. The AirPods beep, getting louder. Take the AirPods out of your ears first if you are wearing one, as the sound is loud.

   Done

4. Use Find Nearby

   With AirPods Pro 2 and later, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and the newest AirPods with a wireless charging case, tap Find Nearby. The iPhone shows the direction and distance to the case as you walk around.

   Done

5. If they are offline

   When the battery is empty or they are out of range, you see the last known location with a time, and Play Sound does nothing. Go to that place and look there. Switch on the notification so the iPhone tells you when they are found again.

   Done

6. Turn on Lost Mode

   Tap Lost Mode (or Show Contact Info) and enter a phone number or email address. If someone finds the AirPods and holds them near their iPhone, they see your message. On newer models you can mark each AirPod and the case as lost separately.

   Done

7. Set a reminder for next time

   In the same screen, switch on Notify When Left Behind. The iPhone then warns you when you walk away from the AirPods somewhere that is not your home.

   Done

Good to know

If you find only one AirPod or only the case, Apple sells single replacements. Have the serial number ready. It is printed inside the lid of the case and shown in Settings, Bluetooth.

AirPods that somebody else is already using cannot be tracked through your account any more once they have been reset and paired again.

If Find My shows nothing at all, check that it is switched on: how to find a lost iPhone describes the same settings.

When they are back and will not connect: AirPods not connecting to an iPhone: 8 fixes to try.

In short: Find My app, Devices, your AirPods. Map for the place, Play Sound when close, Find Nearby on newer models. Offline shows the last known location. Lost Mode leaves your contact details.