As an owner of Apple AirPods, I was frustrated when I couldn’t get them to play sound when I was using Find my iPhone. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved the problem and the other solutions I discovered.
If your AirPods do not play a sound through Find my iPhone, it means that your AirPods are not connected to your iPhone or an Apple device that they were previously connected with.
| Key Takeaways and Tips |
|---|
| – AirPods won’t play sound on Find my iPhone if not connected |
| – Common reasons: out of power, in case, reset, broken, not connected |
| – To make AirPods play sound, go to Find My app, tap on AirPods, and tap “Play Sound” |
| – If AirPods won’t play sound, check Bluetooth and last known location |
| – Retrace steps and check frequently used places for AirPods |
Why won’t my AirPods play sound on Find my iPhone?
When using find my iPhone to find your AirPods, you should be able to use find my iPhone to get the AirPods to play a sound. However, this does not always work.
Here are some reasons why your AirPods might not be playing a sound when using find my iPhone:
Out of power
The most obvious reason is that your AirPods are out of power.
If you lost your AirPods when they were already low on power or they have been lost for hours or more, this would be the most likely cause. In this case, find my iPhone should still show their last known location.
They are in the case
If your AirPods are in the case, they will not be able to play a sound because they get turned off and disconnected when they are in the case.
They have been reset
If someone stole your AirPods, it is possible for the person to reset them by putting them in the case and holding the power button for 15 seconds.
If they have done this, your AirPods will no longer be connected to your iCloud or find my iPhone.
They are broken
It could also be the case that your AirPods are broken. This would be more likely if you lost them somewhere such as near a road or outside while it is raining.
They are actually playing a sound
It might be the case that your AirPods are actually play a sound but there is something covering them making them hard to hear or because you are actually looking in the wrong place.
The AirPods were not connected to find my iPhone
It might be the case your AirPods were not connected to find my iPhone to begin with. For AirPods to be connected to find my iPhone you must connect them to a device with an iCloud account.
Also, it could be the case that your AirPods were actually connected to a different iCloud account and it would help to consider what other accounts you use.
The AirPods are not where find my iPhone says they are
Find my iPhone shows the last known location of your AirPods. It could be the case that your AirPods are no longer in that location.
If your AirPods are in the case, they have lost power, or they have lost connection with nearby devices. They will not be able to update their location on find my iPhone.
Read more: Why is my AirPods case loose?
How to make AirPods play sound with find my iPhone?
To get your AirPods to play a sound when using find my iPhone do the following:
- Click on the Find My app.
- Click on the Devices section.
- Click on your AirPods from the list that should be displayed.
- Tap “Play Sound”.
If your AirPods are not playing a sound, it could be due to any of the reasons mentioned above.
Read more: Do alarms go off with AirPods?
How to find my AirPods if they won’t play sound on Find my iPhone?
To find your AirPods, if they won’t play a sound on Find my iPhone, one option is to see if you can get your AirPods to appear on the Bluetooth on your phone.
If the AirPods appear on your Bluetooth, it means that they must be nearby.
Also, Find my iPhone should display the last known location of the AirPods. However, this will disappear after 24 hours.
Other than that, your only option is to retrace your steps and to look in places where you frequently use your AirPods.
