10 Fixes for When Your AirPods Don't Show Up in the Find My App

The Find My app is a valuable tool in the search for missing AirPods. But if your AirPods don't show up in it, here's how to fix it fast.

After you successfully pair AirPods to your iPhone, the AirPods should show up in the Find My app. However, if they don't, we'll show you some quick solutions to fix it below.

But before that, it's essential to understand the benefits of adding your AirPods to Apple's Find My app.

Why You May Want to Show AirPods in Find My?

There are lots of benefits to adding your AirPods to the Find My app, including:

• After your AirPods show in Find My, you can make them play a sound if they're misplaced to find one or both of the missing buds.
• Find My lets you see the last known locations of your AirPods on a map. If they aren't connected, you can still see the last time and location they were online and get directions to that place.
• You can use the Find My Network to locate your AirPods Pro or AirPods Max and get precise directions to them when misplaced nearby.

Related: Apple's Find My Network: What Is It and What's So Good About It?

Now that you know the importance of getting your AirPods added to the Find My app, here are the solutions to fix it when they don't show up in it.

Please note that for several solutions mentioned below, you must have your AirPods with you. And once they show up in Find My, you can find them if you ever misplace them in the future.

1. Make Sure Find My Is Enabled for Your Paired Device

When you set up your iPhone, Find My is switched on by default. And when you pair your AirPods to this iPhone, Find My is automatically enabled for the AirPods too. You don't have to take any other steps. However, if you later turn off Find My for your iPhone, it will have the same effect for your AirPods as well.

Keep your AirPods connected to your iPhone and follow these steps to ensure Find My is enabled for it:

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap Find My.
3. If Find My is turned off, tap it and enable it from the next screen.
4. Now open the Find My app and tap Devices. Your AirPods should appear here.

Image Gallery (3 Images)

2. Put Your AirPods in the Charging Case and Restart Your iPhone

Sometimes, your AirPods might not show up in the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac due to temporary glitches, which can be easily solved by a simple restart.

To address this, put your AirPods in their charging case and close the lid. Now go ahead and restart the Apple device you're checking the Find My app on.

Related: How to Restart Any iPhone, Even if the Buttons Are Broken

3. Check Apple's System Status for the Find My Service

On rare occasions, the problem may not be on your end but on Apple's. To check, visit Apple's System Status page. Here, make sure you see a green circle next to Apple ID, iCloud Account & Sign In, iCloud Web Apps, and Maps.

In case these services show a yellow or red symbol, it means they're facing an outage. Please wait for a while for Apple to fix it. After that, open the Find My app or iCloud.com to locate your AirPods.

4. Use iCloud.com Instead of the Find My App

When you can't locate your AirPods in the Find My app, try using this service in a browser instead. Here are the steps for that:

1. Visit iCloud.com on your Mac, PC, iPad, or iPhone and sign in using your Apple ID.
2. Click Find iPhone.
3. On mobile, you should see your AirPods here. On a computer, click All Devices and your AirPods should appear in the list.

5. Ensure Your AirPods Are Charged

If your AirPods are dead they won't show their location in the Find My app. The most you can see in this situation is their last known location.

To charge your AirPods, put them in their charging case. If the case has no battery left, connect it to power.

6. Find My Isn't Available With a Managed Apple ID

You won't have access to Find My while using a Managed Apple ID assigned to you by your school, college, or office. As a result, you won't be able to see your AirPods (or any device) in the Find My app.

7. Unpair Your AirPods and Pair Them Again

When none of the above fixes work, it's time to unpair your AirPods and pair them again. These steps will show you how to do that:

1. Put the AirPods in their charging case.
2. Open your iPhone Settings and tap Bluetooth.
3. Tap the i next to your AirPods.
4. Tap Forget This Device > Forget Device.
5. Restart your iPhone.
6. Now, pair the AirPods to your device again.

Image Gallery (3 Images)

8. Update Your AirPods Firmware

Like software updates on your iPhone, AirPods get firmware updates to fix bugs and introduce new features. For example, the October 2021 update added the Find My Network feature to AirPods Pro and Max.

Thus, to get the best possible AirPods experience and to fix any problems, learn how to update your AirPods to the latest firmware.

9. Reset Your AirPods

Finally, if the issue continues, the last option is to reset your AirPods. This will remove the AirPods from all earlier devices you have paired them with, and you'll have to start from scratch. Doing this fixes several major problems with the AirPods, including when they don't in the Find My app.

10. Find My Won't Show Your AirPods if It's Been Too Long

Technically, Find My shows the last known AirPods location even when their battery dies. But if it's been a particularly long time, Find My might not show any location for your AirPods, even though it still lists them in the Find My app.

In the screenshots below, you can see that my old AirPods still show up in the list of devices. But after tapping their name, the map shows no location or relevant details except giving an option to play a sound (which won't work until the AirPods come online).

Image Gallery (2 Images)

AirPods and the Find My App

Since AirPods don't have network connectivity and rely on your iPhone or other connected device to show up in Find My, it's tough to find them if they ever go missing.

Nevertheless, the Find My service is handy and can be used to learn the last known locations, get directions, and play sounds to find missing devices. All these make it worthwhile to add your AirPods to Find My, and the above solutions should ensure they appear correctly.

About The Author

Ankur Thakur (32 Articles Published)

Ankur has been an Apple user for more than seven years and focuses on iPhone how-tos, fixes, and tips. When not writing, he likes to watch The Office repeatedly. Ankur also loves tech videos, comedy and romantic movies, old songs, pizza, and chicken.

More From Ankur Thakur