Losing your Bluetooth earbuds can be an expensive hassle. The good news is that there is technology to help find them and precautions you can take to make finding them easier.
Find my device/Last known location
If you have Apple AirPods or Google Pixel Buds, you may be able to use Apple’s Find My app or Google’s Last known location feature to find them:
Bluetooth scanner apps
If you have a rough idea where your earbuds are, and can’t use Find My or Last known location, you may be able to find them using a Bluetooth scanner app. To be located by such an app, the earbuds must be:
- Turned on
- Charged
- Within range (about 30 feet)
Scanners detect signals from Bluetooth devices and use the strength of that signal to calculate their approximate distance from you. By watching the displayed distance increase or decrease as you move, you see which direction to go to find your earbuds.
The TechWiser blog recommends the Wunderfind app, which is available, widely downloaded and well reviewed in both Apple’s App store and Google’s Play Store.
Caveats:
- The free version of Wunderfind lacks useful features that are included with the paid version, such as playing a loud sound on your earbuds to alert you to their location.
- The free version also contains advertisements.
- Not all scanner apps work equally well with all devices.
Trackers
If using a scanner app sounds like too much hassle, then you might consider purchasing a Bluetooth tracker. These are inexpensive devices that attach to or are inserted into objects you don’t want to lose, such as wallets, keychains or earbud cases. They can then be tracked using their manufacturer’s apps. PC Magazine reviewed The Best Bluetooth Trackers for 2022 and updated the article in September 2022.
Related news: Apple AirTags and Your Safety.
Precautions
Now that you know a few ways to find lost earbuds, here are some precautions that may make them easier to find:
- Keeping location services enabled on your phone will better enable your phone to show their last known location.
Note: There are privacy implications to keeping location services enabled, so you’ll need to balance those against the conveniences they provide. - Keeping your earbuds at least partly charged will make finding them easier if you have to rely on a scanner app.
- Keeping your earbuds turned on, paired with and connected to your phone will also make finding them easier if you have to rely on a scanner app.
- If your earbuds don’t include their own tracking feature, you may want to consider purchasing a Bluetooth tracker and attaching it to your earbuds’ case.
As you can see, finding your lost earbuds isn’t a hopeless case. Taking a few precautions against loss can increase your odds of finding them.