How to return lost AirPods to the owner?

The police told me that the only thing that would happen it that the AirPods would go into a vault. If no one claims them within a few weeks, they will be destroyed. Unacceptable. There should be some database where they can be reported as found. I'm sure this could be done in a way that protects both parties.

GabrielonApple wrote:

The police told me that the only thing that would happen it that the AirPods would go into a vault. If no one claims them within a few weeks, they will be destroyed. Unacceptable. There should be some database where they can be reported as found. I'm sure this could be done in a way that protects both parties.

Figure out how that will work, without opening up people to harassment, stalking, abuse, and worse, and without spending buckets of money to set up a global clearinghouse, and let Apple know.

There used to be a service or two that provided post-paid return tags for lost keys, but that largely disappeared decades ago. And it doesn’t work world-wide.

Here? The potential for abuse and assault and worse is much larger than with found keys.

With Find My, the person that lost the device has the opportunity to regain it. If they choose to use that.

Hand them in to the local lost and found or police.

Turn them in to local police, or to the proprietors of the location where they were found.

Apple will not disclose ownership.