How to Avoid Losing Your AirPods

Keep your AirPods extra safe with these simple methods

Co-authored by Linh Le

Last Updated: December 19, 2022 References

If you’ve owned a pair of AirPods for a while, chances are you’ve lost track of them at one point or another. It’s never fun entering into a panic and frantically searching for something you lose, especially something as expensive as AirPods. In order to prevent this from happening, take some precautions to make your AirPods harder to lose and easier to find if you do misplace them. You’d surely rather spend your hard-earned money on something other than a replacement set of Airpods!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Storage Techniques

1
Store your AirPods in their case whenever you’re not using them. Do this whenever you take them out of your ears and don’t plan to put them back in your ears again soon. It’s easier to keep track of the case than the 2 small individual earbuds.^{[1]
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- For example, if you just finished a meeting call and now it’s time to sit down and do some personal work, remove the earbuds from your ears and place them in the charging case instead of just leaving them in your ears or setting them down on your desk.
- Choose a brightly colored, flashy case to make it easier to see.
2
Put the AirPod case inside a keychain case sleeve and attach it to your keys. Buy a protective keychain case, such as a silicone sleeve, designed for the AirPod charging case. Slide the charging case inside the sleeve and clip the case onto your keychain to make it harder to lose.^{[2]
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- You could also clip the keychain case sleeve somewhere else like onto a belt loop or onto a backpack or bag of some kind if you prefer.
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3
Fix a bluetooth tracker to the case to make it easy to find if you misplace it. Get a bluetooth tracker chip and use double-sided tape to stick it to the back of the AirPod charger case. Download the tracker chip’s app on your phone and connect it, then use it to find your AirPods if you ever misplace them.^{[3]
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- Many keychain cases for the AirPod charging case also have a slot for a bluetooth tracking chip. You can use both a keychain case and a bluetooth tracker together to make it extra hard to lose your AirPods and even make it easy to find your keys when you’re running out the door!
- The Tile is an example of a dependable bluetooth tracker chip.
4
Keep your AirPods in the same places at home and when you take them out. Always put your AirPods, inside of their storage case, in the same spot at home, such as a key dish, shelf, drawer, or spot on your desk. Place your AirPods in the same pocket of a bag or jacket when you take them out the door with you.^{[4]
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- This habit makes it much easier to find your AirPods when you want them. For example, if you know they’re always in the key dish by your front door, you can just grab them when you’re heading out and stick them into their designated pocket in your purse or backpack.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

On-the-Go Strategies

1
Attach your AirPods to a wearable strap to keep them handy on the go. Purchase a magnetic locking strap for your AirPods, which looks like a lanyard with 2 round mounts at 1 end for the Airpods. Slide the earbuds into the mounts at the end of the strap until the magnets lock them into place. Wear the strap around your neck when you want to quickly access the AirPods without worrying about losing them while you’re moving around.^{[5]
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- This could be a handy accessory for traveling. For example, you can take your earbuds in and out while you’re moving through an airport or flying on a plane, but you still know that they’re around your neck at all times.
2
Twist the earbuds in your ears to stop them from falling out when in use. Stick your AirPods in your ears, then twist them forward at about a 30-degree angle, so the stems are at an angle instead of straight down. This makes it much harder for them to fall out of your ears than if you leave them with the stem pointing straight down.^{[6]
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- Keep in mind that everyone’s ears are different, so this particular technique may be more effective for some people than others.
3
Use AirPod covers to keep them from falling out if twisting them doesn’t work. Purchase silicone slipcovers designed to fit over the AirPod earbuds. Stretch them over the earbuds before you place them in your ears to reduce the chances of an earbud falling out and getting lost.^{[7]
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- Some of these slipcovers also have hooks on them that hook on top of or behind your ears to make the earbuds extra secure.
- The downside of many of these covers is you have to remove them from the earbuds to put the earbuds back in the case, but they’re still a great option to prevent the loss of your AirPods when you’re using them on the go or if you like to keep them in your ears throughout the day because you use them frequently.
4
Check to make sure you have your AirPods when you go somewhere new. Look around carefully before you get up and leave a space to make sure you’re not absent-mindedly leaving your AirPods behind. Make sure you know where your AirPods are before you leave the space and head to your next destination.^{[8]
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- For instance, if you just spent the afternoon working on your laptop in a cafe, check on the table and around the area to make sure you didn’t drop an earbud. Make sure you know where your AirPods are in your bag or pockets before you leave.
5
Play an alarm sound through your AirPods at full volume if you lose just one. Remove the earbud you still have from your ear and turn up the volume on your earbuds to the maximum level. Find an alarm sound on the Internet and blast it through your earbuds. Listen carefully to track down the one you’re missing.^{[9]
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- Note that this will only work if your earbuds are currently connected to your bluetooth.
- This can be a quick way to find a missing AirPod if you drop one in a couch or under a seat, for example.
6
Use Find My iPhone to help you locate your AirPods if you misplace both. Log in to your iCloud account from a computer and go to Find iPhone or open the Find My app on your iPhone. Select your AirPods from your list of devices, then look at the map to see their location.^{[10]
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- Note that if your AirPods are not currently connected, the app will still show you the last location they were online in.
- You can also tap Play Sound in the app to play a sound that gets gradually louder for up to 2 minutes if you know your AirPods are nearby and connected, but you can’t find them.

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you set up AirPods?

Josef Storzi
Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.

Josef Storzi

Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

Expert Answer

Simply open the AirPods case next to your iPhone. A dialog box will appear on your iPhone prompting you to connect to them. Click connect and that’s all. Enjoy your AirPods!

Warnings

Be extra careful with your AirPods when you’re traveling. It’s really easy to lose them in transit and you’re very unlikely to ever get them back again if you lose them somewhere like on a plane or in an airport.

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