Customers were already concerned that they would lose the AirPods the moment that Apple unveiled the wireless earbuds, especially after it was revealed that it will cost $69 to replace one AirPod.
There are several tips on how users can prevent misplacing their AirPods, but the best method to do so was through the Finder for AirPods app that was released earlier this month on the App Store. However, the app was inexplicably taken down by Apple, with the developer stating that the company said the app was not appropriate for the App Store.
We now know the real reason why the app was taken down, as Apple was working on its own Find My AirPods feature.
Find My AirPods Feature In iOS 10.3
Upon Apple's release of the first developer beta for iOS 10.3, it was discovered that the mobile operating system update contained a new feature that will help users locate their AirPods.
Nicknamed Find My AirPods, the feature is integrated into Apple's well-known and highly useful Find My iPhone app. The feature finds misplaced AirPods, though it will have to be within Bluetooth range of any of the user's iOS devices, which should also be signed into the company's iCloud service.
Upon launching Find My Airpods, users will be able to see the current or last known location of their AirPods. However, Apple will be determining this not based on the actual AirPods themselves, but rather through the Bluetooth connection with the AirPods Case and supported by the GPS of the iPhone or iPad.
The information that the Find My AirPods feature will provide users, however, is very broad. While it will give users looking for their AirPods an address or intersection for the current or last known location of the accessories, it is up to users to search for their AirPods in the building or park, for example. As such, the feature will work best to confirm if users left their AirPods and their case at home or at work, as it will not be specific enough to tell users where in the house or in the office the wireless earbuds are.
To help users searching for their AirPods, Apple has also added a feature that will allow users to play a sound on the wireless earbuds, similar to the Find My iPhone feature of playing a sound on the device. Users can specify which one of the AirPods will make the sound.
Apple Wanted Its Own App To Find AirPods
It is now known that Apple took down the Finder for AirPods app because the company wanted users to resort to the company's own feature, instead of a third-party app.
Apple, however, should consider adding one of the most important features found in the Finder for AirPods app into Find My AirPods. The third-party app used the strength of Bluetooth signals to let users know if they are getting nearer or moving further away from the AirPods, and while it was not a perfect method, it would help the search for lost AirPods greatly, especially in conjunction with the ability to play a sound through the accessories.
