The AirPods, those Apple headphones that when they were launched, I perfectly remember that the most critics said that they would be lost very easily and that they would be very uncomfortable for users. Years later, neither one nor the other. It is true that they can be lost, almost like any other headset. Best of all, is that right now on the market if you want similar ones you have a very wide market to choose from, because they have been copied over and over again. But those of Apple have one thing that the others do not, the ability to find those that have been lost or stolen. We explain how it is done.
You already know that Apple is governed by what is called the Apple ID. It is not only the username and password with which we access Apple services. It is also the perfect way to make the ability to synchronize between different devices a reality. When you open notes on your iPhone and want to keep writing on your iPad or Mac, it's that Apple ID that keeps everything running smoothly. That Apple ID is the same one that AirPods also have and with that we can connect to one or the other device indistinctly and quickly.
That Apple ID also serves to search for those devices. Because our user is registered and with that we can access their location, also thanks to the Find My technology. You can search for any device assigned to you. Mac, iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods…etc. With that we can mark on a map where it is. Keeping in mind that if they are connected to a network, they will more accurately show their location, but if they are not, then they will show the last site where they were connected.
Apple's Find My network works too, recently creating your own network or mesh via Bluetooth, not just Wi-Fi or ultra-wideband anymore. This crowdsourcing network can help you get closer to any Apple product that has been accidentally misplaced or made to disappear from us. It was not like this in the past. It is something that the company introduced, especially with the AirTags, which is something that has made these devices so coveted and at first they have been used for purposes not legally foreseen.
We have to keep in mind that there are several generations of AirPods in three model categories: AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. The Find My AirPods experience is similar for each of them, though the AirPods Pro 2 have a few extra tricks. Logically, for all this to work, we must take into account that the network Find My must be enabled on our devices:
- Settings> Click on our name at the top> Find My> Verify that “Find my iPhone” is activated.
Can be found additional settings in this menu to enable network participation Find and send the last known location of your iPhone before battery life. Receive notifications...etc;
Let's see how we can search for the devices
We open the search application and touch the devices tab at the bottom of the screen. That is where in this case, we locate the AirPods that we want to find and click on them. We must activate the option to notify when the AirPods have been forgotten. "Notify in case of forgetfulness". We check that it is activated and it says “Yes”. What it does in this case is notify us if we part with the device. Some locations can be edited so that we are not notified for being our home, for example. It is also recommended to activate the tab that says that we are notified when we find them.
With this we make sure that if we forget, for example, in the gym, a warning will sound and we will go back for them. But if we lose them in a shopping center, there is no problem because the network Find My has the necessary tools to find them:
We open the Search application> Devices tab at the bottom of the screen> Locate the AirPods that are missing from the list and touch them> Activate lost mode> The operation of the Search menu will depend on the AirPods model being tracked.
All three generations of the standard AirPods and AirPods Max have similar functionality with Find My. They are limited by the Bluetooth connection, which is only possible when out of the charging case. In this case, the AirPods will try to connect to any nearby device and update their location. That's when we use the Search App. We will not get directions on how to get there. We will only see if we get closer on the map and we must be attentive to the sound that is generated.
When connected to a nearby iPhone is when the location is updated. Meanwhile, no. At that time of update we may allow you to leave a personalized message along with your email or phone number when a device is placed in lost mode. Very useful if they have been stolen. Although we already know...
As we have said, the AirPods Pro 2 are a bit more special, because Apple changed the way the charging case works thanks to the addition of speakers and the U1 chip, which allows for more accurate tracking. The AirPods Pro 2 case has its own set of speakers that create a loud grinding noise when activated. Also, the U1 Ultra Wideband, like AirTags, will display an arrow and guide the user within inches of the missing AirPods Pro 2 casing.
We hope it will help you and above all that you find them if you have come here because you have lost them or they have been stolen. As you have been able to read, the ideal is to have the second generation AirPods Pro. With the others we must be much more careful if possible. I still have the first generation ones and they have never fallen off. It is true that it is very useful to activate the notification in case they forget. Do that first. The rest is up to you.
