PodSpotHome Find lost Bluetooth headphones
Lost your Bluetooth headphones? Start here.
Galaxy Buds, Pixel Buds, Sony, Bose, JBL and most other wireless earbuds send a Bluetooth signal while they are on. You can follow it with your iPhone.
Free iPhone app with in-app purchases. Needs iOS 15.5 or later.
The short answer
Check the finder built into your headphones' own app first: SmartThings Find for Galaxy Buds, Find Hub for Pixel Buds. If your brand has nothing like it, or you are searching from an iPhone, open PodSpot, pick your headphones from the list of nearby Bluetooth devices and walk toward the stronger signal.
Try your brand's own finder
Some brands can show your earbuds on a map, as long as you set them up with your account first.
- Samsung Galaxy Buds: open the SmartThings app, tap Life and then Find, or use Find My Earbuds in the Galaxy Wearable app. You need to be signed in to your Samsung account, and the Galaxy Wearable route can also make them ring.
- Google Pixel Buds: open the Find Hub app or website and select your Pixel Buds. Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Buds 2a can locate and ring both earbuds and the case; older Pixel Buds can ring the earbuds only.
- Keep in mind that a last known location is where your phone was last connected to the earbuds, not where they are right now.
Source: Samsung: Find your lost Galaxy earbuds, Google: Find your Pixel Buds
Follow the signal with PodSpot
PodSpot scans for Bluetooth devices that are switched on and nearby, and labels each one Near or Far. Tap your headphones and walk around: the signal percentage rises as you get closer.
It works with the Bluetooth signal itself, so the brand matters less than the battery. Your headphones need to be switched on and within Bluetooth range, and walls and furniture weaken the signal, so walk room by room.
PodSpot can also remember where it last saw a device and show that spot on a map, which helps when you set something down and walk away.
Places worth checking
- The bag or backpack you carried last
- Coat, jacket and trouser pockets
- The car, under and beside the seats
- Between the sofa cushions
- Bedding, and the floor beside the bed
- Your desk and the drawer under it
Questions people ask
Can an iPhone find non-Apple earbuds?
Yes, while they are switched on and nearby. PodSpot lists the Bluetooth devices around your iPhone, whatever the brand, and shows the signal getting stronger as you get closer.
Can I find earbuds that are turned off or dead?
Not over Bluetooth. Earbuds with no battery send no signal. If your brand's app recorded a last known location, search there first.
How far away can PodSpot see my headphones?
It depends on the headphones and on what is in between. Walls, furniture and bodies all weaken the signal, so walk room by room and watch for your headphones to appear in the list.
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.