Losing your AirPods case without AirPods inside can understandably feel hopeless and stressful. It seems like a lost cause to many Apple users because most cases don’t include tracking features like AirPods themselves. That is why many people struggle with how to find an AirPods case without AirPods inside.
Use AirTags or Tile trackers to find your AirPods case without AirPods inside. You can track an AirPods Pro 2 case through the Find My app, but that feature doesn’t work for previous generations. Mark your case as lost or play a sound with the Find My app to find it if you have AirPods Pro 2s.
Try to keep your AirPod case in the same place every day so that you don’t lose it. It is difficult to find older AirPods cases because you can only track their last known location if AirPods were previously in them. Follow along as we explore how to find your AirPods case without AirPods inside.
How Do I Find My AirPods Case Only?
You can find your AirPods case without AirPods inside if you use GPS tracking devices. Granted, this won’t help if you haven’t already attached a Tile tracker or AirTag to your case. The Find My app can provide valuable information to find your AirPods case even if your AirPods aren’t inside.
However, it isn’t that simple, and the Find My app can only provide so much information. That’s why it always helps to take preemptive action and put a tracker on your AirPods case in the event of an emergency. However, recent generations of AirPods have made it easier than ever to track just your AirPods case. Let’s take a look at how you can find your AirPods case without your AirPods inside of it.
Find My App
While you can’t directly track most AirPods cases with Find My, this app can help you find them. You won’t be able to see your AirPod case’s precise location, but you can access that makes it easier. For example, you can find location history information about your AirPods on the Find My app or iCloud website.
This can display the location of your AirPods within the last 24 hours as long as they were online at that time. If you move your AirPods out of the case or they die during that time, you won’t get location updates. You can use this information to retrace your steps to find your AirPods case.
Open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC, and select your AirPods from the devices list. A map will appear that shows the last known locations of your connected devices. However, you can track your AirPods case without AirPods inside if you have AirPods Pro 2s. The case will appear on the map in the Find My app and the iCloud website just like the AirPods themselves.
Tile
Tile trackers may not be made by Apple, but they can help you find your case without the AirPods inside. These impressive GPS trackers may be small, but they are far from simple. A Tile tracker can transmit accurate location information with a range of up to 400 feet.
Tile users can use the official app to track their devices or belongings. Open the Tile app and check to see if the “Find” button is green. If it is green, this indicates that your tracker is within Bluetooth range. The Tile tracker will make a sound if you tap the “Find” button so that you can find the case.
You can expect your Tile tracker to last for up to 3 years. Luckily, they are cheap enough that replacing Tile trackers isn’t a burden. Many retailers sell 4-packs of Tile trackers for $80, so you can track much more than just your AirPods case.
Play Sound
Apple offers a “Play Sound” feature via the Find My app for many of their devices. You can enable this feature for your AirPods, Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. Sadly, most generations of AirPods don’t come with a case that includes this feature.
However, that is not a problem if you have the AirPods Pro 2 case and corresponding AirPods. AirPods Pro 2 cases have several features that make them much easier to find than previous generations. The “Play Sound” feature is available for AirPods Pro 2 cases as long as your case is connected to your iCloud account.
Visit the iCloud website or open the Find My app to access the tracking information for your AirPods Pro 2 case. Select your case in the list of connected devices and tap “Play Sound”. Listen closely for the beeping sound and find your case. This will only work if your AirPod case is charged or plugged in. The Find My app will display the case’s battery level as well.
Mark Your Case As Lost
“Mark As Lost” is yet another helpful way to find your AirPods case without AirPods inside. Sadly, this only applies to AirPods Pro 2 users. This feature relies on the honesty of whoever finds your AirPods case, but it can be quite helpful.
Open the Find My app, scroll down to your AirPods Pro 2s, and select “Case” above “Left Bud” and “Right Bud”. Scroll down and select “Activate” under “Mark As Lost”. A prompt will appear for you to enter a message that will show up for any iPhone user that finds it.
They encourage you to provide contact information so that they can safely return your AirPods case to you. However, you aren’t guaranteed to get the case back whether an iPhone user finds it or not. It may be worthwhile to replace your AirPods case if you feel uncomfortable with meeting a stranger to retrieve it.
AirTags
Apple makes it easy to track your devices and belongings with AirTags. These small devices transmit tracking information to iCloud which you can access online or through the Find My app. You can access the location of your AirTag via the Find My app.
Pull up the AirTag that is attached to your AirPods case through the list of Apple Devices on Find My or iCloud. Select the AirTag and wait for its location to appear on the map. It can indicate that someone removed and destroyed the AirTag or that its battery died if it appears offline.
Otherwise, you will be able to access the precise location of your AirPods case as long as the AirTag is still attached. You can also make your AirTag play a sound so that you can find it if you are close to your AirTags case. Click on the “alert” tab on Find My and enable “Play Sound” for as long as it takes to find it.
How To Find AirPods Pro 2 Case
You can find an AirPods Pro 2 case just like you can find most Apple devices on the Find My app. AirPods Pro 2 improved over previous generations when they made the case trackable. This makes it easy to find your case without the AirPods inside.
The easiest way to find your AirPods Pro 2 case is to use the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple watch. Tap the devices tab at the bottom of the screen and scroll through the list until you find your case. Your case will appear on the map, and several options will appear for you to choose between.
Options such as Play Sound, Notify When Found, and Mark As Lost can all help you find your AirPods case with your AirPods inside. You can also make the case play a sound through the Find My app as long as it’s online, charged, or plugged in. Otherwise, the case’s last known location will appear on the map and that can help you find it.
What To Do If You Lost Your AirPods Case
There is no protocol for what to do when you lose your AirPods case. However, there are several things that you can do so that you don’t waste time. For example, you may need to eventually cut your losses and replace them altogether. Let’s take a look at what you can do when you lost your AirPods case without AirPods inside and you can’t find it.
Report Your Case Stolen
Report your AirPods case stolen if you suspect theft even if the AirPods aren’t inside. The police likely won’t have more luck than you, but it’s worth reporting the crime. Provide the serial number if you can access it to help them with the process.
This comes in handy if they ever find your AirPods case so that they can verify it is yours. They won’t be able to use your Find My app or iCloud account information. With that said, you can give them information from your account.
The police won’t actively search for your AirPods case unless someone stole it along with high-value items. However, if it was, then you should provide as much tracking information as possible through the Find My app. This will be much easier if it is an AirPods Pro 2 Case because of the more advanced tracking features. However, it is still helpful to provide the last known location from when your AirPods were in the case if you have an older generation.
Get a New Case
You may simply need to replace your AirPods case if you cannot find it and your AirPods aren’t inside. A replacement charger case costs roughly $80 and it’s worth the cost. Otherwise, you cannot charge and protect your AirPods.
One great option is to get an AirPods Pro 2 charger case even if you only have a pair of Pro 1 AirPods. The chargers are compatible and you can enjoy the special features that are only available for AirPods Pro 2 cases. Whichever replacement case you get, you need to pair it with your AirPods.
Turn on your AirPods and open the settings menu on your iPhone or iPad. Scroll down to the Bluetooth tab and tap on “Forget This Device”. Now, put your AirPods in your new case, wait for the light to flash, and leave your iPhone open beside it. Wait for a prompt to appear on your screen that says “Connect” and tap it to pair your AirPods to the case.
How Do I Avoid Losing My AirPods Case?
You can avoid losing your AirPods case with smart planning and simple technologies. Modern accessories such as tiny GPS trackers make it harder than ever to lose your AirPods case. Maintaining a steady routine also makes it easy to keep track of your AirPods case. Let’s take a look at what you can do to avoid losing your AirPods case.
Keep Them In The Same Place
Keep your AirPods in the same place as much as possible to avoid losing them. That way, you will always be able to find them quickly. This is harder if you bring your AirPods case with you to work, but it is still doable.
If possible, it is helpful to keep your charger case at home unless you need to charge your AirPods at work. I recommend that you put your AirPods case by your bedside table so that it’s on your mind when you go to sleep and wake up. You can also put your charger case by your car keys or the front door so that you bring it with you when you leave for work.
Use a GPS Tracker
Small GPS trackers such as AirTags, Tiles, and Chipolo ONEs can help you keep track of your AirPods case. This is a great option for Apple users that don’t have the latest generations of AirPods in particular. Older generations don’t let you track the case itself, especially without AirPods inside.
Luckily, you can use small GPS trackers to make up for this so that you always know where your AirPods case is. It’s even worthwhile to use an extra tracker if you have an AirPods Pro 2 case so that you can track it if the case dies. Most GPS trackers last for up to a year before you need to replace them.
This will give you peace of mind for a long time. Just make sure that you replace the tracker once it dies just in case of an emergency. Luckily, you can check the battery life of an Apple AirTag through the Find My app. Open the devices list and you will see a battery health bar by the AirTag. You can also use the Find My app to make the AirTag play a sound so you can find the case.
Enable Notify When Left Behind
Apple AirPods Pro 2 users can use the Notify When Left Behind feature to keep track of their cases. This feature is available for all AirPods, but it only works with Pro 2 cases. You will receive a notification on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch when you leave your AirPod case behind with this feature.
The only downside to this feature is that you don’t necessarily want to use it all the time. That is because you will likely walk away from your AirPods case frequently. It can be quite frustrating to get repetitive notifications that you left your AirPods case behind.
However, this feature is worthwhile if you only use it at certain times of the day. For example, you could enable this feature while you are at home so that you don’t leave the house without it. You can also leave this feature on at all times if you don’t mind the notifications to play it safe.
Keep Your AirPods In It
It helps to not lose your AirPod case if you keep your AirPods in it. This helps for both personal and practical reasons. For example, you are less likely to forget where your AirPod case is if your AirPods are in it because you will likely want to use them soon.
That is especially true if you keep your AirPods in the case with the lid open. Keep the lid open and in plain sight so that you can easily see your AirPods before you leave the house. Put your AirPods back in the case when you arrive back home so that you can charge them and know where they are.
It also helps to keep the lid open so that you can track your AirPods in the case via the Find My app. Otherwise, you won’t be able to track the case without your AirPods inside unless you have an AirPods Pro 2 case.
Can I Still Find My AirPods If They Are In The Case?
You can find your AirPods if they are in the case, but how easy it will be depends on which AirPods you have. For example, older-generation AirPods would go offline when you close the lid for the charger case. You would still be able to access their last known location via the Find My app, but that wouldn’t help if the case moved.
AirPods lose several abilities while they are in the case, such as the “Play Sound” feature. This makes it more difficult to find your AirPods when they are in the case if you misplace your case. That is why it is useful to use AirTags and or Tile trackers so you don’t lose it.
Newer generations, such as the AirPods Pro 2 make it easier to track your AirPods while they are in the case. Users don’t have to worry about their AirPods going offline while charging because even the case appears on Find My. With that said, you still have to charge or plug in your charger case or it will go offline and won’t appear on the map.
So, How Do You Find AirPods Case Without AirPods Inside?
You can find your AirPods case without AirPods inside through the Find My app. AirPods Pro 2 users can track their cases through the Find My app and iCloud website. If you have an older-generation case, you can only track the last known location from the last 24 hours before it died.
Luckily, AirPods Pro 2 users can use features like “Mark As Lost” and “Play Sound” to find their cases. I recommend that you put a Tile tracker or AirTag on your AirPods case so that you can find it without your AirPods inside. Otherwise, you can use features like “Notify When Left Behind” if you have AirPods Pro 2s so that you don’t lose them.