Airpod Pro 2 FindMy tracking if factory reset?

MrHoffman wrote:

Your AirPods are likely in the trash or the ditch somewhere, offline, and with the battery charge depleted. Or headed to a place far away.

Again, AirPods Pro link to the Apple Account, and that linkage and Find My will not be reset when the AirPods Pro are reset.

That means the AirPods can be tracked. Wherever they are. Even if they’re paired with non-Apple gear.

Some of the many discussions of this linkage:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/airpods/comments/q8a7l1/i_just_reset_my_airpods_pro_and_the_name_says/

• https://9to5mac.com/2024/02/13/reset-airpods/

A discussion of the linkage from Apple directly:

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/c49629f5-5c3d-4f19-b1ff-b1212236a564

MrHoffman, I'd just like to say once again that I appreciate you taking the time to not only respond, but also compile this list of links and resources.

With that being said, I think it's important to point out here that none of the sources you link, nor the discussion from Apple directly answer my aforementioned key question: If the thief factory resets my Airpods, will the Find My location continue to update for me as normal?

to be more specific, the Apple post indicates that the device must be removed from my Apple Account so that the new owner can "take advantage of all the features - including Find My"

This does not by any means make clear whether I will continue to be able to track the device via Find My, for the simple reason that just because someone cannot do something does not mean that I can.

Again, I'd like to be clear that I am very appreciative of the time you've taken in an attempt to my question.

If you own a pair of Airpods pro and would be willing to try testing this theory on my behalf, I'd be greatly appreciative! The steps I would suggest would be as follows:

1. Put your Apple Devices in Airplane mode to prevent connection to your Airpods
2. Factory reset your Airpods, and hand them to a friend you can trust not to steal or lose them
3. Have your friend connect to and configure the Airpods
4. Have your friend travel to a different location while connected to the Airpods
5. Check Find My to confirm whether location updates

I'd prefer you do not put the device in "Lost Mode" for the initial test, as I believe my pair are not in Lost Mode. An additional test would be trying to play a sound on the Airpods via Find My while in their proximity, as the thief works at my office and I could walk around trying to ping the device.

If you or anyone else wishes to take the time to conduct this test, I would be greatly appreciative! I think doing so would also make this page a great resource to those who've had their devices stolen, and would possibly spark a discussion into fixing this obvious problem.

@MrHoffman, I appreciate you taking the time to reply, but I am looking for responses to my specific questions.

The article you linked is one I've already read. Articles like this offer no new information, nor do they answer any of the questions I listed in my post.

In fact, the article you link seems to conflict with your statement on "activation lock" - a term I have not seen anywhere in Apple documentation or in my searches online. The article seems to state that the airpods will be fully usable, but unlinkable with a new Apple ID.

There is a key piece of information that I am looking for: if the thief factory resets my Airpods, will the Find My location continue to update for me as normal?

It seems obvious to me that if a factory reset prevents location tracking, I can count my Airpods as good as gone. I'd also like this information to be publicly available somewhere online; to prevent others from developing the false sense of security I had with the Find My system (or at least find closure after losing their device, rather than checking Find My constantly).

Additionally, I personally feel raising awareness to this issue may cause Apple to consider a fix.

Again, I do appreciate you taking the time to respond.