PodSpotHome Find lost AirPods
Lost your AirPods? You can probably still find them.
Start with Apple's Find My. If it only shows an old location, or you can't hear the beep, walk the area with PodSpot and follow the signal as it gets stronger.
Free iPhone app with in-app purchases. Needs iOS 15.5 or later.
The short answer
Open the Find My app, tap Devices and choose your AirPods. If they are nearby and connected, tap Play Sound and follow the beeps. If Find My only shows an old location, go there and open PodSpot. It lists the Bluetooth devices around you and shows a signal percentage that rises as you get closer.
Check Find My first
Apple's own app is the fastest place to start, as long as your AirPods were set up with your Apple Account.
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone and tap Devices.
- Tap your AirPods to see them on the map.
- If they are nearby and connected, tap Play Sound. They beep so you can follow the sound.
- If they are out of range or out of battery, Find My shows their last known location instead. It may say Offline or No location found, and Play Sound won't work until they reconnect.
- Depending on your AirPods and iPhone, you may also see Find Nearby, which guides you once you are close.
When Find My isn't enough
Find My tells you roughly where your AirPods were. It can't always tell you which cushion they slipped under, and a beep is hard to hear from inside a bag or a coat pocket.
PodSpot works from the other end. It scans for Bluetooth devices that are switched on and nearby, and labels each one Near or Far. Tap your AirPods and walk around: the signal percentage rises as you get closer, so you can narrow it down to the room and then the corner.
PodSpot doesn't use Apple's Find My network. It helps while your AirPods are out of their case, have battery and are within Bluetooth range. It can't find the charging case on its own, because the case doesn't send a signal PodSpot can read. It can also remember where it last saw a device and show that spot on a map.
Places worth checking
- Between the sofa cushions, and on the floor under the sofa
- Coat and jacket pockets, including the ones in the laundry pile
- The bottom of your bag or backpack
- Car seats and the gap beside them
- Bedding, and the floor on both sides of the bed
- Your desk, under papers and behind the monitor
Questions people ask
Can I find AirPods that are dead?
Not over Bluetooth. A device with no battery sends no signal, so no Bluetooth scanner can pick it up, PodSpot included. Find My can still show the last place your AirPods were seen, and that is the best place to start looking.
Does PodSpot use Apple's Find My?
No. PodSpot reads the Bluetooth signal your AirPods send while they are switched on. That makes it useful when you are close but can't see them. Keep Find My turned on as well, for the times they are far away.
How close do I need to be for PodSpot to see my AirPods?
It depends on what is in the way. Walls, furniture and bodies all weaken a Bluetooth signal, so start where Find My last saw your AirPods and walk room by room until they appear in the list.
Can PodSpot find my AirPods case?
No. The charging case doesn't send a Bluetooth signal PodSpot can read, and PodSpot can't see AirPods while they are inside it. Some AirPods models let Find My mark the case as lost separately, so check there first.
Is PodSpot free?
PodSpot is free to download from the App Store, with in-app purchases. It runs on iPhone with iOS 15.5 or later.