Do This Right Now to Increase Your Chances of Getting Back Lost AirPods
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Apple AirPods are great but, unfortunately, their form factor and size means that they’re pretty easily to lose. Sometimes, they can get lost in hard-to-reach areas and require a bit of ingenuity to get back. But other times, your missing AirPods could simply be found by someone else. In these cases, there’s a simple trick that you can use that could make it easier to get them back.
One Simple Tip
While there are a number of things you can do to make it easier for, say a lost iPhone to be returned to you, AirPods are a bit different.
Methods like using Find My AirPods won’t always work. And without a display, you can’t provide contact information or details on AirPods themselves.
Sure, you could always physically write or tape your contact information to the charging case itself. But a much cleaner and more digital solution is to simply change the Bluetooth device name of your AirPods to your name and contact info.
For example, you could change the name to “John Smith, 555-444-3210.” That way, if someone finds your AirPods, they can get a hold of you and return them.
This method has actually worked out in the real world, too. Just take an anecdote posted by Reddit user Ultra101, who lost their AirPods at an airport due to a TSA mixup. Long story short, Ultra101 is getting their missing AirPods back.
How to Change the Name of AirPods
You can easily change the name of your AirPods using the iPhone they’re connected to. Here’s how.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Find your AirPods — they’ll typically be named “(Your name)’s AirPods.” Tap on the corresponding blue (i) information button.
- Now, tap the Name field below the Bluetooth option.
- Enter a name and phone number into the field.
- When you’re finished, tap Done.
As we mentioned, listing your name and phone number could be a good way to get your AirPods back if they’re ever lost.
Of course, if you’re concerned about the privacy or security implications of exposing your phone number like that, you could always use something like a Google Voice number, an email or an instant messenger handle.