It might have taken a lot of “courage” for Apple to introduce the AirPod. But one could argue it takes just as much courage for consumers to shell out $160 to wear mini sticks hanging out of their ears. So it’s all the more harrowing when a temporary bout of absentmindedness causes us to misplace one or both of these tiny gizmos.
Well Apple is finally going to help us out. Starting with iOS 10.3, you’ll be able to find your lost AirPods using the Find My iPhone app. The iOS update rolled out to beta testers this week. And we can all look forward to seeing it in a general roll out a few months from now.
Since AirPods don’t come with GPS, the feature works by tracking their location via bluetooth. To get their current location, they need to be within range of another of your Apple devices connected to iCloud. If they’re out of bluetooth range or completely out of power, the app will identify their last known location.
But the map can only get so specific. If, for instance, your AirPods are hidden under piles of stuff in a messy room, you could either use this opportunity to finally fold away your laundry or you can tap “Play Sound” on your phone to make the AirPods chirp. The sound starts off quieter and gets progressively louder. This is in case the AirPods are sitting in your friend’s ears. They’ll have some time to take the earbuds off before the sound blows out their eardrums. You can also mute individual AirPods if you’re only missing one of them.
One drawback to keep in mind is that AirPods need to be outside your charging case for the tracking feature to work. If you’ve lost the case itself, you’re really going to need to clean that room.
