You might need to turn off Find My on your AirPods to disable annoying left-behind location notifications on the connected device, stop them from being tracked, or protect your privacy when selling or gifting them. There is also a possibility that someone else’s earbuds are detected by your iPhone or iPad, and you want to deactivate tracing and alerts for them as well, for your security.
In either of these situations, the detailed guide below will show you how to solve these problems one by one with ease.
Can I disable Find My on AirPods?
Yes, you can disable Find My and stop your AirPods from being tracked by removing them from your Apple Account devices list.
How do I get my AirPods out of Find My Mode?
To take your AirPods out of Lost Mode or remove them from the Find My network, you can use the Find My app on your iPhone or log into iCloud.
1. Turn off Find My network
You can turn off AirPods location and keep using your AirPods normally via the Find My network:
- Make sure they are connected to your iPhone or iPad (open the case or wear them).
- Open the device Settings and select Bluetooth.
- Tap the More Info button (the “i” icon) next to your AirPods in the list.
- Scroll down and turn off the switch for Find My network.
2. Remove AirPods from Find My
If you are selling, giving away, or trading in your AirPods, you should completely remove them from your Apple Account:
- Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
- Tap or click the Devices tab.
- Select your AirPods from the list.
- Swipe up on the device handle (or click More Info) and tap Remove This Device.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to finish.
3. Turn Off Lost Mode
If your AirPods are just stuck in Lost Mode, switch it off using these steps:
- Open the Find My app.
- Tap Devices at the bottom.
- Select your AirPods from the list.
- Tap Pending or Activated under Mark As Lost.
- Tap Turn Off Mark As Lost, then confirm by tapping Turn Off.
4. Use the iCloud website
You may want to completely unlink the AirPods from your Apple ID so you can sell, gift, or reset them. If you cannot access your phone, log into iCloud with your Apple ID, go to Find My, select your AirPods, and choose Remove This Device.
Can a previous owner still track my AirPods?
Yes, a previous owner can still track the location of your AirPods if they are still linked to their Apple Account and have not been factory reset.
How do I tell if my AirPods are being tracked?
You can tell if your own AirPods are linked to someone else’s account by watching for an on-screen pop-up warning or checking if a setup message says another owner can see their location.
How to stop previous owner tracking AirPods?
To stop a previous owner from tracking your AirPods, you must factory reset them manually and, if possible, have the previous owner remove the device from their Apple account.
1. Factory reset your AirPods
- Put both AirPods inside the charging case and close the lid for 30 seconds.
- Open it, hold the setup button at the back, and keep pressing it for 15 seconds.
- Now, the status light flashes amber and then flashes white.
- This removes the Find My Lock from the previous owner’s Apple account.
- Close the lid, open it near your device, and follow the setup prompts to pair them to your own Apple Account.
2. Remove from the Previous Owner’s Account
If you are in contact with the previous owner: Ask them to open the Find My app on their Apple device, select Devices, choose the AirPods, swipe up, and tap Remove This Device. They should also go to their Bluetooth settings, tap the “i” icon next to the AirPods, and select Forget This Device.
If you cannot reach the previous owner, resetting the AirPods will prevent them from sharing your live location data. But you may still see a notification that they are linked to another Apple Account until they remove them from their account list.
Can the previous owner of AirPods track them after reset?
No, a previous owner cannot track AirPods after they have been successfully reset to factory settings.
Can AirPods be tracked if turned off?
As soon as you switch off your Apple AirPods or deactivate Bluetooth on your device, the Find My app loses track of them. But you’ll be informed about their last connected location, which may not be precise, especially if someone has already picked them up and has moved somewhere else.
You also can’t track AirPods if their battery is dead or you’ve placed them inside their charging case. However, whenever you or someone else turns them on again, their location will pop up on your device running the Find My app.
Can AirPods be tracked if location is off?
If you’ve already turned off AirPods location notifications on your iOS device, and the earbuds are either lost or left in the charging case somewhere, you can still track them using the iCloud website or the Find My feature.
1. Access the iCloud website
- Open a browser on your Apple device and head to the iCloud Find page.
- Sign in to your account with the correct credentials and choose Devices.
- Select your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch from the list.
- Tap Play Sound; the sound will get louder on your AirPods, and they will appear on the list with directions leading to them.
- If the pair is off, you will see the location directions where they last connected.
Do note that if you are accessing iCloud from a PC browser, you can only hear an incrementing sound on the AirPods (If they are ON) rather than getting the exact directions.
2. Turn on Find My network
Before losing your earbuds, you can also enable the Find My Network feature on your iOS device to track them, even if they are out of range or there is no direct internet connection.
- Plug your AirPods in your ears and connect them to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.
- Head to device Settings.
- Tap the name of your AirPods.
- Toggle on Find My network.
How long can lost AirPods be tracked?
Lost AirPods can be tracked as long as they have battery power and are not reset by another person, with offline location updates via the Find My network lasting up to 24 hours after their last connection for supported models.
Can I disable my AirPods if stolen?
No, you cannot completely disable or activation-lock AirPods like an iPhone, meaning a thief can still factory-reset and use them.
What you can do is open the Apple Find My service to track their last known location. You can mark them as lost to display your contact info if someone nearby detects them, though it won’t stop a reset.
If you choose to remove the AirPods from your Apple ID, they will no longer be tracked or tied to your account, but this also removes any remaining tracking capability.
What to do if someone stole my AirPods and I have the location?
If your AirPods are stolen and you have their location on the Find My app, do not try to recover them yourself; instead, contact local law enforcement and report the exact GPS coordinates.
How do I turn off AirPods location notifications?
To turn off AirPods location notifications (such as “Notify When Left Behind”), remove them or disable the feature via the Find My app.
1. Disable the Notify When Left Behind feature
To stop AirPods from location tracking notifications when you don’t carry them with you, use the Find My app on your iOS device to disable the Notify When Left Behind option:
- Connect your AirPods to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch via Bluetooth.
- Open the Find My app, select Devices, and choose your AirPods.
- Then, scroll to Notifications > Notify When Left Behind and toggle it off.
- Tap Continue and select Done.
2. Use the device settings menu
Another method to disable the AirPods location notification pings is through the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch Settings menu. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple device and select Bluetooth.
- Tap the i icon that shows next to the name of your AirPods.
- Select Forget This Device and confirm again.
Tip: You can also toggle off Bluetooth on your device to turn off AirPods location notifications instantly.
3. Limit Find My access for location sharing
You can also restrict the Find My capabilities to your current location. Doing this halts AirPods tracking notifications on your Apple device but also results in your contacts not being able to trace you anymore.
- Open Settings on your Apple device and head to Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Scroll and tap Find My.
- Under Location Access, choose Never.
4. Turn off location sharing altogether
You can also totally disable location services for a specific user or device to get rid of AirPods tracking notifications:
- Launch the Find My app and then tap People.
- Here, tap Stop Sharing My Location.
- Now select a person or device, and they won’t get your AirPods location notifications.
Can AirPods give a false location?
Yes, AirPods can display a false or inaccurate location in the Find My App. They do not have their own GPS or Wi-Fi chips and rely entirely on nearby Apple devices via Bluetooth to report their position.
The location on the map often belongs to the iPhone, iPad, or Mac that last “heard” or connected to the AirPods, rather than the AirPods themselves.
Also, a stranger’s Apple device passing near your lost AirPods can relay an incorrect location to your iCloud account, making the pin jump to a random neighbor’s house or a completely different town.
If the AirPods are dead or out of range, the Find My Network displays their last recorded spot, which might be hours or days old.
How to disable AirPods location that are not mine?
To stop tracking alerts from unknown AirPods near you that may belong to your friend, family member, or someone else, use your iPhone’s Find My app to locate and disable the item.
If you are receiving notifications that an unknown AirPod is traveling with you, follow these steps to turn off its location tracking and the notification on your iOS device:
- Tap the AirPods Found Moving With You notification on your iPhone or iPad to open the Find My app.
- Go to Items and select Unknown Items Detected with You.
- Tap Instructions to Disable on your screen and follow the steps to stop the AirPods from tracking and sharing their location with the owner.
