What to do if you lose airpods

Apple's AirPods generally do a great job of staying in your ears, even during a run or workout. Of course, that doesn't mean you won't ever lose one or even both earbuds –- especially if you forget to put them back in their charging case when not in use. In the how to below, we'll go over your options in case one of your AirPods go missing.

Use Just One AirPod

If you don't want to shell out the cash for another AirPod when you've lost one, your AirPods won't be entirely useless. Apple has designed the AirPods so you can use just one at a time. A single AirPod functions just like two AirPods, so as long as you have one AirPod and the Charging Case, you can listen to music, podcasts, and more.

Get a New AirPod From Apple

If you've had no luck using Apple's Find My iPhone app to locate a lost AirPod (or AirPods), or if you have a faulty AirPod, it might be time to consider ordering a replacement from Apple.

Apple doesn't offer AppleCare+ for first- or second-generation AirPods, and instead provides a standard one-year warranty that's included with all Apple products. If your AirPods need service during that one year period, all work will be covered for free.

After the one-year warranty has expired, Apple charges a $69 fee for out-of-warranty service repairs, as described on its iPhone Service Pricing page. If your AirPods or AirPods Charging Case loses battery capacity, battery service is free during the one-year warranty period or $49 out of warranty.

Setting up a Replacement AirPod or Charging Case

When you receive your replacement AirPod, follow these steps to set it up. Note that these steps can also be used set up a replacement Charging Case and Wireless Charging Case.

It's not immediately obvious that you can just use the Find My app to track down more than just your phone or tablet, but it's possible and -- under the right circumstances -- useful. 

Below I'll show you how to use the Find My app to locate a missing AirPod. 

Make sure Find My is set up

Before you can use the Find My app to locate anything you've lost, make sure it's set up. Double-check that Find My is turned on by opening the Settings app, tap on your name at the top of the screen, then select Find My. Next, tap Find My iPhone and move the switch to the On position. As long as Find My is enabled, your Apple Watch and AirPods will automatically be added to the app. You can't activate and use Find My for your AirPods after you've lost them, so do this step right now. I'll wait. 

Done? OK, good. 

How to find your lost AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max

After realizing your AirPod is nowhere to be found, take a deep breath, grab your iPhone and open the Find My app. Tap the Devices tab, then find and select your AirPods on the list. Alternatively, you can use your computer to visit iCloud.com/find to help find your lost devices.

If your AirPods are within Bluetooth range of your iPhone, you'll see their current location on a map and have the option to play a sound on one or both earbuds. Tap Play Sound and start listening for a chirping sound to come from each earbud. If one AirPod is in the charging case, it won't play any sound. 

The sound will gradually get louder as it plays for two minutes. If you can hear it, but not find it before the sound stops, then tap Play Sound again. 

You can switch which AirPod the sound is playing on by tapping the L or R button in the Find My app. When you've found both AirPods, tap Stop. 

There are some situations when Find My won't work

Finding a lost AirPod is easy so long as it's out of the case, still charged and close enough to your iPhone. In a situation where the AirPods aren't within range for your phone to trigger a sound, you should still see the last location your phone had a connection to them. You can get directions to their last known location, where hopefully your phone can find them and then play a sound. 

If you lost your AirPods while they were in the case, your odds of finding them goes down significantly. You likely won't see their last location on a map, and you won't have the option to play a sound. However, there's still a chance another Apple device user finds them, opens the case and the Find My app is able to let you know they were found.

It's a long shot, sure, but it's better than nothing. 

For those with AirPods Max, the caveats are a little different. If your AirPods Max are in their case, your iPhone can find them for up to 18 hours. If they're outside of the smart case, you'll have 72 hours to connect to them and trigger the sound. 

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