Tuesday, April 12, 2022 7:45 pm4 Comments

According to a recent report from Business Insider, a refurbisher that works with major retailers has been forced to “stockpile more than 30,000 affected AirPods over the course of just a few weeks” because users are failing unlink AirPods from their Apple ID upon return.

Chance Miller for 9to5Mac:

This means that when the refurbisher tests the AirPods, or even when the next buyer of the AirPods receives them, they see a message about an “AirPods Mismatch” from the Find My app.

The earbuds of your AirPods are linked to a different Apple ID, possibly because one of the earbuds is mixed up with someone else’s AirPods. Learn how to solve this issue by going to the article online.

goTRG, the aforementioned company that handles returns for Walmart and other retailers, says that this issue affects “about eight in 10 AirPods that come through the company’s six facilities.” Another company that sells refurbished AirPods on sites like Amazon, R2Cell, was forced to stop selling refurbished AirPods altogether because of the problem.

MacDailyNews Notee: The refurbishers have reportedly asked Apple for help, but have not yet heard back.

Hence eWaste.

How to unlink your AirPods (and iPhone Leather Wallet, AirTag, or Find My network items) from your Apple ID:

1. Open the Find My app, then tap the Items tab or Devices tab.
2. Tap the item or device you want to remove, then swipe up on the handle.
3. Tap Remove Item or Remove This Device, then tap Remove to confirm.
4. If your item or device is out of Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you see an “AirTag Not Found” or “Item Not Found” message. Tap Remove.

These steps are the only way to remove an item from an Apple ID. Apple can’t remove Pairing Lock for you.

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

Shop The Apple Store at Amazon.

Buy Now