As an owner of Apple AirPods, I know all too well the frustration of not being able to locate them when you need them. Recently I encountered the issue of not being able to hear the AirPods ringing when I used the ‘Find my iPhone’ app. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share what I learned and the solutions I discovered to this problem.
Likely reasons why your AirPods do not ring on find my iPhone are that they are in the case, out of power, out of range to any devices, they have been reset or they might actually be ringing but you can’t hear them.
Quick tips:
- AirPods do not always ring when using Find my iPhone, as they may be in the case, out of power, out of range, reset, broken, or actually ringing but not heard.
- When using Find my iPhone to locate AirPods, they must be close enough to connect to a device’s Bluetooth and not be in the case.
- If your AirPods are not ringing or playing sound when a call comes in, it could be due to the volume being turned down, a bad connection, or not being used for phone calls.
- To get your AirPods to play a sound when using Find my iPhone, click on the “Find My” app, devices section, click on your AirPods, and tap “Play Sound.”
- The AirPods Pro 2 case can play a sound itself
| Reasons why AirPods don’t ring on Find My iPhone | Quick Tips |
|---|---|
| AirPods are in the case | AirPods must be out of the case and close enough to connect to Bluetooth |
| AirPods are out of power | Charge AirPods and check their last known location on Find My iPhone |
| AirPods have been reset | Reset AirPods’ connection to iCloud and Find My iPhone |
| AirPods are broken | Check if AirPods are physically damaged or not working |
| AirPods are actually ringing but not heard | Check if anything is covering AirPods or they are in a different location |
| AirPods are not connected to Find My iPhone | Connect AirPods to a device with an iCloud account |
| Find My iPhone is not displaying the correct location of AirPods | Check if AirPods are in the case or out of range |
Why won’t my AirPods ring 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 ring. However, this does not always work.
Here are some reasons why your AirPods might not be ringing when using find my iPhone:
Your AirPods are not in the case
When AirPods are in the case, they get turned off and so they are not able to play a sound. Find my iPhone can only make AirPods play a sound when they are not in the case.
However, if you have AirPods Pro 2nd Gen or newer, the case itself has speakers so you can get the case to play a sound instead.
Your AirPods are not close enough to be connected
In order to use Find my iPhone to get your AirPods to play a sound, they need to be close enough to connect to your iPhone’s Bluetooth.
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 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 ringing
It might be the case that your AirPods are actually ringing 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
If 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 do my AirPods keep activating Siri?
How to make AirPods ring 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: Why are my AirPods rejecting connection?
Why don’t my AirPods ring when a call comes in?
Below are possible reasons why your AirPods do not ring when a call comes in.
The volume is turned down on your phone
It could just be the case that the volume is turned down on your phone so your AirPods do not play any noise. It would help to make sure that the volume is not turned down.
Also, try going to settings then “Sounds and vibrations” and make sure that nothing is wrong there.
Your AirPods are not connected
It might also be the case that your AirPods are not actually connected to the device. This would be more likely if your AirPods won’t play any sound at all.
A bad connection
It could be the case that your AirPods have a bad connection with your device and it would help to try reconnecting them.
- Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
- Put your AirPods in the case
- Open the lid and press the button on the case for 15 seconds until it flashes orange
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your Mac
Your AirPods are not being used for phone calls
It might also be the case that your AirPods are not actually being used for phone calls. When you take a call, you should be able to see “AirPods” on the screen.
Why does one AirPod not ring?
If you have lost your AirPod and you are trying to get it to ring using find my iPhone, it might not be ringing for any of the reasons mentioned above.
Also, it would help to put your other AirPod in the case so that it updates the map on find my iPhone to show the lost AirPod.
If only one AirPod rings when a call comes in, it might be the case that you need to reconnect your AirPods to your device, the AirPod is out of power, or the AirPod is broken.
The first thing to do would be to reconnect your AirPods to your device as mentioned above.
It would also help to try giving your AirPods a software update.
To update your AirPods, you need to put them in the charging case while it is being charged, then put a connected Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) near the AirPods.
