After you successfully pair AirPods to your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, they are automatically added to Find My and 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, here are 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. These are some ways that Find My helps you track and find your AirPods:
- After your AirPods show in Find My, you can make them play a sound if they’re lost 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 nearby.
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.
For several of the Find My solutions mentioned below, you must have your AirPods with you.
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 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max and follow these steps to ensure Find My is enabled for it:
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Open Settings and tap [Your Name] at the top.
- Tap Find My.
- If Find My iPhone is turned off, tap it and enable it from the next screen.
- Now open the Find My app and tap Devices. Your AirPods should appear here.
2. Enable the Find My Network for Newer AirPods
The Find My Network uses other nearby Apple devices to securely transmit your lost AirPods’ location to you. When the Find My network is on, you can see the location of AirPods 3, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max in the Find My app for up to 24 hours after they last connect to your device, even if they’re not nearby.
Here’s how to enable Find My Network for your AirPods so that you can locate them using the Find My app in the future:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone 18 Pro Max.
- Open Settings on your iPhone and tap Bluetooth.
- Tap the Info (i) button next to your AirPods.
- Scroll down, then turn on Find My Network (if you don’t see that option, first tap Find My).
3. Put Your AirPods in the Charging Case and Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max
Sometimes, your AirPods might not show up in the Find My app on your iPhone 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 your iPhone or the Apple device you’re checking the Find My app on. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
4. 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 Account, iCloud Account & Sign In, iCloud Web Apps, and Maps.
If these services show a yellow or red symbol, it means they’re facing an outage. You’ll need to wait for Apple to fix it. After that, open the Find My app or go to iCloud.com/find to locate your AirPods.
5. 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:
- Go to icloud.com/find, then sign in to your Apple Account (if necessary).
- On mobile, you should see your AirPods here. On a computer, click All Devices, and your AirPods should appear in the list.
6. 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.
7. Find My Isn’t Available With a Managed Apple Account
You won’t have access to Find My while using a managed Apple Account 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. The solution is to sign in to a personal Apple Account on your connected device instead.
8. 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:
- Put the AirPods in their charging case.
- Open your iPhone Settings and tap Bluetooth.
- Tap the Info (i) button next to your AirPods.
- Tap Forget This Device > Forget Device.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Now, pair the AirPods to your device again.
9. Update Your AirPods Firmware
Like software updates on your iPhone, AirPods get firmware updates to fix bugs and introduce new features. Thus, to get the best possible AirPods experience and to fix any problems, learn how to update your AirPods to the latest firmware. Connect your charging case to power. Put your AirPods in their charging case and close the lid. Wait at least 30 minutes for the firmware to update.
10. Reset Your AirPods
Finally, if the issue continues, the penultimate 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 connect them again from scratch. Doing this fixes several major problems with the AirPods, including when they don’t show in the Find My app.
AirPods 1, 2, or 3, or AirPods Pro 1 or 2: Put the AirPods in their case, close the lid, then wait 30 seconds. Open the lid, then press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for about 15 seconds, until the status light flashes amber, then white.
AirPods 4 or 5, or AirPods Pro 3: Put the AirPods in their case, close the lid, then wait 30 seconds. Open the lid, then double-tap the front of the case three times. When you successfully reset your AirPods, the status light flashes amber, then white.
AirPods Max: On the right headphone, press and hold the Digital Crown and the listening mode button at the same time, until the status light next to the charging port changes from flashing amber to flashing white (around 15 seconds).
11. 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.
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 the option to play a sound (which won’t work until the AirPods come online). The only solution for this is to connect and use your AirPods again.
Locate Your AirPods in the Find My App Again
Since AirPods don’t have network connectivity and rely on your iPhone 18 Pro Max or another connected device to show up in Find My, it can be pretty 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 location, get directions, and play sounds from missing devices. All these features make it very worthwhile to add your AirPods to Find My, and the above solutions should ensure they appear correctly.
