Losing your AirPods case is frustrating. After all, it protects your AirPods while keeping them charged and ready for use.

Without the case, you can’t charge your AirPods. This means they will be useless after about five hours of active listening.

Basically, your case is essential.

If you’ve lost your case, we’ll share ways to find it and offer tips to help you keep tabs on it in the future.

Ways to Find an Airpod Case

First, start with the obvious places. This includes anywhere you typically use your AirPods. Chances are, your case is nearby.

If you still can’t find it, you have a few options. Some are built-in to your other Apple devices, while others require additional technology.

Here are some tips on how to find your AirPods case depending on the situation you might be in.

1. Find an AirPods Case with AirPods in Them

If your AirPods are still in the case, it will be easier to find. Even if just one of the AirPods is in the case, you can use this simple strategy.

All iPhones, iPads and Macs have the Find My app. If your AirPods were paired with your Apple device or computer and you have Find My enabled, they will be easy to locate.

For this to work, your case must be open and the Find My app must be turned on before your case goes missing. 

Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Find My app on your device or Find My on iCloud.com on a Mac.
  2. Select the Devices tab.
  3. Click on your connected AirPods.
  4. If it shows a green light next to it, you can select the play sound option.

If your case is open, the AirPods inside will begin to play a sound.

The sound will play for two minutes and gradually increase in volume. If they are nearby, you can follow the sound to find them.

Also, if they are paired with your device, you can play music through a streaming app. Follow the music to locate your case.

However, if the case is closed, you will not be able to play the sound or music.

Fortunately, if you have Gen 3 AirPods, AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, you can use the Find My network to show the current or last known location of your missing device on a map, regardless of distance. 

The app will even give you directions if they are far away.

If you don’t have these models, the Find My app will only locate AirPods that are near your device and connected to Bluetooth.

To enable the Find My network, you must:

  1. Open Settings on your paired iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
  2. Select your name.
  3. Tap on Find My.
  4. Select your device and enable Find My.
  5. Turn on Find My network.

You need to have Find My enabled for your AirPods, and the network needs to be on before they get lost. Otherwise, this strategy won’t work.

2. How to Find an AirPods Case Only

You can use your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to determine if your case is near your AirPods. 

Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Find My app.
  2. Select the Devices tab.
  3. Tap on your connected AirPods.

If you see a green light next to the device, it means your charging case is nearby. Otherwise, a gray light indicates that the case is out of range.

If the case is out of range, you won’t be able to locate it using this method. You’ll have to look for it the old-fashioned way and retrace your steps.

Since the case is small, it can easily fall between sofa cushions or behind a desk. Start your search there.

3. Locating an AirPods Case if it’s Dead

Unfortunately, you can’t track a case like you can track AirPods. If they are separated, you’ll likely have to buy a new charging case.

If you know where your AirPods are but your case is dead, there’s not much you can do besides search for it manually.

When you get a new case, you can use location technology devices like an Apple AirTag. This is a Bluetooth tracker that can attach to the case.

When you attach a tracker, you can use the associated app to locate your case.

4. Find an AirPods Case Without Your iPhone

Your iPhone is not the only device you can use to track lost AirPods. They can also pair with iPads, Macs and the iPod touch. 

You can use the Find My app on iPads or an iPod touch to locate lost AirPods. Usually, the case is nearby or holding them.

On a Mac, you will need to use the Find My tool on iCloud.com. This lets you view all connected devices.

However, if you have your earbuds and you don’t have a tracker attached to your case, you won’t be able to use an app to find the case.

Your best option is to search all of the places where you normally use your AirPods. Chances are they have fallen into an area that is out of sight, like under a couch.

5. How to Locate an AirPods Case Without Using “Find My iPhone”

If you can’t use the Find My app, you can use a GPS or Bluetooth tracker such as Tile or Apple AirTag. However, these devices have to be attached to your case before it gets lost.

Of course, tracking devices have some limitations. Tile devices can locate a connected case up to 400 feet away depending on the model. 

AirTag offers a greater range since it functions on Apple’s Find My network. As long as an AirTag tracked device is within Bluetooth range of any Apple device, you can locate it.

This means that you could potentially locate a tracked device that is hundreds of miles away.

If you have no trackers attached to the case, it will be difficult to find. 

6. How to Find a Lost AirPods Case

If your AirPods and case are simply lost, you can turn on Lost Mode.

To enable Lost Mode:

  1. Open the Find My app on your connected device.
  2. Select the devices tab.
  3. Tap your lost AirPods.
  4. Navigate to the settings and mark them as lost.

Once you activate Lost Mode, you can share your contact information so that anyone who finds them can get in touch with you. You will also receive a notification when they are found via the Find My network.

FAQs

Do you still have questions about finding an AirPods case? We have the answers you might be searching for.

Can I find my Airpod case using the serial number?

No, you can’t use a serial number to find an AirPods case. Apple does not track AirPods cases by serial number. In fact, Apple does not track the cases at all. The company only tracks the AirPods.

However, you can use the serial number to set up an AirPods case replacement with the Apple Store.

What if I can’t find my Airpod case?

If you tried the above methods and still can’t find your case, you can purchase a replacement case directly from Apple. 

Other brands, such as OtterBox, also offer discounted cases that are capable of charging AirPods and AirPods Pro models.

How can I avoid losing my AirPod case?

To avoid losing your case, attach a tracking device like the Apple Airtag.

Additionally, you can set up an alert on your iPhone that will go off when you leave your AirPods somewhere. If your AirPods are in or near the case, you have a great chance of finding both.

To set up the alert, you can use the Find My app. Select the devices tab, then choose your AirPods. Navigate to notifications and tap the notify when left behind option. Then, slide the button to green to activate the notification feature.

When you leave your AirPods behind, your phone will receive a notification. Tap the notification to show where you left them. 

What happens if my AirPod case is stolen?

You can fill out a police report if you know your AirPods case was stolen. While it is not likely to be recovered, you never know if the report could be useful in the future.

Plus, with a police report, you might be able to file a claim with your insurance company and get reimbursed for the cost of a replacement.

Summary

If you frequently misplace your AirPods case, don’t worry. There are ways to track it down as well as proactive strategies you can use to avoid losing it in the first place. 

Try to keep the case in a central location when you’re not using it, such as in a pocket on a backpack or in a basket on your desk. Also, consider attaching a tracking device so that you can use an app to locate it easily.

Furthermore, similar to a protective iPhone case, you can buy a brightly colored case or skin for your case so it will be easy to spot. 

By following these simple tips, you can help ensure that your case stays safe and sound.