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Lost Airpods: location and address differ

I cannot find my Airpods so I tried to check their location in Find my app. It looks like a bug because the shown location of Airpods is at my home - where I am now - and I am sure they are not here. Tommorow I was at school and its address is the address displayed as the Airpods location (Fakulta Informatiky…., Botanicka 68, Brno). I do not remember if I left them there, but it is possible. Why the address location doesnt match the map? Should I believe the address rather? The address remains the same even after 2 hours I first checked the location….

Posted on Oct 6, 2023 5:53 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 6, 2023 6:01 AM

Hi Lukassoj,


The discrepancy between the address and map location in the Find My app when trying to locate your AirPods could be due to several factors related to how AirPods' location tracking works. Here are some insights and potential explanations:


  1. Connected Device Location: AirPods do not have built-in GPS or Wi-Fi, so they rely on the location of the device they are connected to via Bluetooth, like your iPhone or iPad, to provide their location. If the connected device moves, or if the AirPods are connected to multiple devices with different GPS locations, the location of the AirPods as shown on the Find My app may change accordingly​.
  2. Last Known Location: The Find My app shows the last known location of your AirPods when they were connected to your device. If your AirPods are in their case or the battery has run out, they won't update their location until reconnected to your device​.
  3. Effective Bluetooth Range: The effective range of AirPods’ Bluetooth connection is likely no more than a hundred feet. If someone else finds and uses them outside this range, your device will stop tracking them unless they come within the Bluetooth range again​.
  4. GPS and Network Issues: If the GPS signal of the connected device is obstructed or weak, or if there are network issues with the Wi-Fi connection of the device determining the location, the location shown might not be accurate​.


In your case, it might be that the address showing as the location of your AirPods is the last known location before they got disconnected from your device, while the map is reflecting the current location of your device. Given the situation, it might be worthwhile to check the address (your school) that's showing up in the app, as it could be the last place your AirPods were connected to your device. It's advisable to check this location as soon as possible, as the Find My app won't update the location of the AirPods if they're out of battery or not within Bluetooth range of your device.


If you believe this to be a bug, you might want to contact Apple Support for further assistance. They might have additional troubleshooting steps or insights into resolving this discrepancy in the Find My app.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 6, 2023 6:01 AM in response to Lukassoj

Hi Lukassoj,


The discrepancy between the address and map location in the Find My app when trying to locate your AirPods could be due to several factors related to how AirPods' location tracking works. Here are some insights and potential explanations:


  1. Connected Device Location: AirPods do not have built-in GPS or Wi-Fi, so they rely on the location of the device they are connected to via Bluetooth, like your iPhone or iPad, to provide their location. If the connected device moves, or if the AirPods are connected to multiple devices with different GPS locations, the location of the AirPods as shown on the Find My app may change accordingly​.
  2. Last Known Location: The Find My app shows the last known location of your AirPods when they were connected to your device. If your AirPods are in their case or the battery has run out, they won't update their location until reconnected to your device​.
  3. Effective Bluetooth Range: The effective range of AirPods’ Bluetooth connection is likely no more than a hundred feet. If someone else finds and uses them outside this range, your device will stop tracking them unless they come within the Bluetooth range again​.
  4. GPS and Network Issues: If the GPS signal of the connected device is obstructed or weak, or if there are network issues with the Wi-Fi connection of the device determining the location, the location shown might not be accurate​.


In your case, it might be that the address showing as the location of your AirPods is the last known location before they got disconnected from your device, while the map is reflecting the current location of your device. Given the situation, it might be worthwhile to check the address (your school) that's showing up in the app, as it could be the last place your AirPods were connected to your device. It's advisable to check this location as soon as possible, as the Find My app won't update the location of the AirPods if they're out of battery or not within Bluetooth range of your device.


If you believe this to be a bug, you might want to contact Apple Support for further assistance. They might have additional troubleshooting steps or insights into resolving this discrepancy in the Find My app.

Lost Airpods: location and address differ

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