We love our AirPods Pro earbuds, but we don’t love the fear of losing them. A new feature in iOS 15 that arrived a little late just made them a lot easier to find.
Apple has released a firmware update for the AirPods Pro that enables enhanced Find My support so you’ll be able to track down your lost earbuds like an AirTag or any other Find My device. Previously, the app would only show the last known location of the earbuds.
If you lose one or both AirPods, you can now activate Lost Mode, which lets you tap into the power of the Find My network. When someone with an Apple device comes within range, you’ll be alerted to its location.
Perhaps most importantly, you can also set up separation alerts so you’ll be notified when you leave one or both earbuds behind. When activated you’ll get a notification on your iPhone or iPad when the AirPods Pro detaches from the Bluetooth connection. To turn it on, open the Find My app, tap on your AirPods, and flip the Notify When Left Behind toggle.
Apple also updated the AirPods Max with the same functionality but the second-generation AirPods do not support Find My. Apple is rumored to be releasing a new pair of AirPods later this year that will likely bring the same Find My features.
There is no direct method to update the AirPods, but they should update automatically when they’re near your iPhone and iPad and inside their charging case that is plugged in or resting on a wireless charging mat. To check whether your AirPods have the latest firmware, go to Settings, then General, then About. Tap the name of your AirPods and check the Firmware Version on the next screen. It will say 4A400 if the latest firmware has been installed.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.