What should i do if i lost my airpods

Let’s face it, the Apple AirPods can break or get lost easily. The tiny earbuds can fall out of your ears, and if you drop a bud down a drain hole, you have to replace the set. Luckily, you can replace AirPods fairly easily, at varying prices. Here’s how to replace your AirPods in the event you misplace or break one (or both).

Editor’s note: this article was updated on December 5, 2022, to add an FAQ section.

How do you return broken AirPods for a replacement?

When you bring your broken AirPods to Apple, you need to make sure you have either your original proof of purchase or the original box it came in, as well as the AirPods (including its charging case). You have the option of bringing it to an Apple Store or authorized service provider. Alternatively, you can mail the AirPods in via a prepaid shipping box from Apple. Apple will repair or replace AirPods that have a manufacturing defect for free within the one-year warranty, or for $29 USD for accidental damage if you bought AppleCare+.

Keep in mind AppleCare+ only offers this more affordable repair or replacement option once per year within the two years an AppleCare+ warranty runs. Prices for repair or replacement may vary with other authorized service providers.

What if you don’t have AppleCare+?

This thing can be pricey to replace.

If you’re not covered by AppleCare+, the cost of replacement or repair is steeper. Out-of-warranty AirPods cost $69 USD to replace each earbud, the wireless charging case, or the MagSafe charging case, while the wired charging case is $59 USD. Out of warranty, it costs $89 USD to replace the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) or the case. The AirPods Max replacement fee depends on the repair, so you have to get that pricing information from a service representative.

Apple launched a self-service repair initiative, which will allow you to buy and easily replace parts for various devices making them more sustainable. However, this does not currently include any model of AirPods, which unfortunately makes sense. The earbuds are notoriously hard to repair—iFixit even considers every model of AirPods unfixable.

What if you lost your AirPods?

Lost or stolen AirPods are not covered under warranty or AppleCare+. AirPods costs $69 USD each to replace, the charging case costs $59 USD, and the wireless or MagSafe charging cases cost $79 USD. AirPods Pro costs $89 USD each to replace, while the charging case is $99 USD. However, before you go paying this much for a replacement, make sure to check Find My to see if it’s just wedged into your couch or on the sidewalk outside your house.

How do you set up replacement AirPods?

To set up your new replacement AirPods, follow these steps:

1. Go into Bluetooth settings on your phone and choose “forget this device”
2. Put your AirPods in the charging case, and wait for the light to turn amber
3. Hold the setup button until the light flashes white
4. Go to the home screen of your phone and open the charging case
5. you should get a pop-up notification prompting you to set up your AirPods

Whether you dropped your AirPods into a deep ravine or ran over it with a bike, you can still always get a replacement. The tiny thing might fall out of your ear, but it won’t fall out of your control.

Frequently asked questions about replacing AirPods

Will I be covered by AppleCare+ if both my AirPods and the case were damaged in an accident?

Accidental damage is covered by AppleCare+, so the cost of replacing the earbuds and case will be a lot lower than if you aren’t covered or out of warranty.

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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