What to do if your AirPods are stolen or lost

If your AirPods are stolen or disappear, you can use Apple's Find My app to find them and potentially get them back. That's it.

Unlike an iPhone or iPad, AirPods hold no valuable user information, so the problem of a pair disappearing due to being stolen or lost doesn't matter. However, they are a financial investment, so if there's an opportunity to get them back, you'll want to pursue them.

Apple sells a variety of AirPods, but the risks are the same with any earbuds—losing one or both earpieces, the charging case, or the entire set. Fortunately, there is a way to track lost or stolen AirPods.

Make sure to enable Find My ahead of time

With Apple's Find My network, you may be able to pinpoint where your AirPods are, or at least where they were most recently. Note that only the earbuds themselves can be tracked, not the charging case, as the case itself doesn't have Bluetooth or speakers.

You must enable Find your AirPods before they are lost, otherwise you cannot use Find to locate them.

How to set up Find My on iPhone

Follow the steps below to make sure Find Find is enabled on your iPhone. When enabled, accessories associated with your iPhone will be available on Find My Network.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Click your name at the top.
3. Click to find mine.
4. Verify that Find My iPhone is turned on.

Additional settings can be found in this menu to enable participation in Find My Network and sending the iPhone's last known location before the battery dies.

How to get notified if you leave your AirPods behind

If you have an iPhone 12 or later, you can set separation reminders for your AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. This is done through the Find My App's Devices menu.

You will be notified if you lose your AirPods

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Click the Devices tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Find your AirPods from the list and tap them.
4. Click "Notify when you're behind"
5. Turn on the feature and set exceptions, such as your home address.

This feature is similar to the AirTags feature and will notify you when your AirPods accidentally lose their Bluetooth connection due to being too far away.

Use Find My to locate lost or stolen AirPods

The Find My app can use the Find My network to locate your lost Apple devices, AirTags, and some third-party accessories. Every iPhone, Mac, and iPad that is not opted out of the network acts as a beacon for the lost device.

If you have lost your AirPods or suspect they have been stolen:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Click the Devices tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Find your AirPods from the list and tap them.
4. Use this menu to find your AirPods or activate Lost Mode.

This map will show the last location where AirPods were connected to devices in Find My Network. If your AirPods are in the charging case and haven't been recently connected, they won't be able to update their location on the map.

Play sounds from AirPods to help locate them

If the AirPods are not removed from the case or the case cover is open, the AirPods will try to connect to any nearby devices and update their location. If you know your AirPods are nearby and need help locating them, use the Find or Play Sound feature. However, these features only work if the iPhone can connect to the AirPods via Bluetooth.

There are many situations where it can be helpful to connect to your AirPods and play high notes. The most obvious use case might be locating earbuds that have slipped between some couch cushions, but the feature could also come in handy for locating stolen devices.

Many of us have been in situations where a colleague or classmate may have sticky fingers and "borrow" more than we wanted. When this happens with AirPods, the location and sound playback features can quickly resolve arguments about which device belongs to whom.

For more serious cases of theft, you will need to rely on Lost Mode and the authorities.

Lost Mode

Lost Mode in Find My tells the device it's lost and can notify the owner when it's found. In the AirPods Find My menu, select Activate under Mark as Lost. This will activate the Lost Mode system of your AirPods.

Because AirPods cannot connect to the Internet on their own, Lost Mode does nothing until the AirPods are connected to a new online device. In the event that your AirPods are stolen, lost, or otherwise connected to an Apple product, a message will appear and notify the owner to update their location.

When the device is in lost mode, you can leave a custom message along with your email or phone number. So if you suspect your AirPods have been stolen, a "We have your location and have notified the police" message might be appropriate.

AirPods will notify someone when they are connected to their iCloud account

Lost Mode does not prevent AirPods from being used, and anyone who owns them can connect and use them as Bluetooth earbuds. However, the iCloud data will still be attached to the AirPods, and the device name will appear as "Not Your AirPods."

Escalation and Involving the Police

While some situations do not require the police, such as the previously mentioned co-worker, others do. AirPods are small devices that can be swiped off a table in seconds, and your only recourse is to get the police involved.

Never chase a thief or use Find to track a stolen device to private property. AirPods are not worth your life.

If your AirPods are stolen and the thief tries to use or sell them, Lost Mode will likely tell you where to find them. Notify the police, file a police report, and hope for the best.

Since AirPods lack personal information and are relatively cheap, being stolen is not a doomsday scenario. The chances of recovering a stolen set are slim, but you may be able to purchase a new set.

Order Replacement Parts

If an earbud or charging case is lost, Apple can provide a new one at a reduced price. Provide the serial number to Apple Support to set up a replacement.

The AirPods serial number is stored on your iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Click Bluetooth.
3. Find your AirPods in the list and tap the "i" icon.
4. Serial numbers are listed here.

Apple does not provide AppleCare coverage for lost AirPods like it does for iPhones. So if a complete set of AirPods is lost, then you'll have to buy a new set at retail price.

Learn what to do if your Apple Watch is lost or stolen, or your iPhone is lost or stolen.

The above is the detailed content of What to do if your AirPods are stolen or lost. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!