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'Finder for AirPods' App Can Help You Track Down a Missing AirPod [Update: App Removed From App Store]

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The lightweight nature and small size of Apple's AirPods have caused concerns for current and future owners of the Bluetooth headphones, centering around how easy it could be to lose them. iOS developer Deucks has made an effort to alleviate some of that worry for owners with a new app called "Finder for AirPods," [$3.99 Direct Link] which measures Bluetooth signal strength from a lost AirPod to guide the user in a hot-or-cold guidance system.

Find-AirPods-1-800x712.jpg

Similar in interface to Bluetooth trackers like Tile, Finder for AirPods uses an arc to assist users in finding a lost AirPod nearby. To begin the process users must choose which AirPod is missing, place the available AirPod in the Charging Case, and use an iOS device that's already been paired with the AirPods to begin searching for the missing headphone. Deucks said he lost one of his AirPods immediately after buying them, resulting in the inspiration for Finder for AirPods.
I actually lost one of my AirPods on the first day, I spent hours looking for it and then thought of making an app that will help me find them, which it did.
Click to expand...
MacRumors has tested out Finder for AirPods over the last few days, and as a general indicator of where the small AirPod is hiding the app has the potential to be helpful for users afraid of having to pay $69 for a replacement AirPod. There are some shortcomings, however, namely the possibility for obstructing environmental factors that play around with the Bluetooth signal to the app's detriment.

Find-AirPods-3-800x712.jpg

In multi-story homes, Finder for AirPods' signal can be unstable when the user is on one floor and the hidden AirPod is on another. Similarly, the app's two sentence help phrases -- "You're getting closer" and "It's around here" -- fluctuate far too often to be successful guidelines. On the bright side, an unstable signal can have a positive aspect: once users know what to look for, they can eliminate certain locations in an area where the signal is reacting poorly and move to somewhere until the bar becomes stable, bringing them closer to their lost AirPod.

Otherwise, when near an AirPod that's on the same floor, the meter is useful as an indicator of getting hotter or colder in the search. Users will have to already be near the lost AirPod due to the close proximity required for Bluetooth tracking between the paired iOS device and the missing headphone. For this reason, the tracking reliability also depends on the battery level of the missing AirPod -- if it's completely dead, users will be out of luck when trying to use Finder for AirPods.

Finder for AirPods is available on the App Store for $3.99 [Direct Link]. MacRumors was given a free code to test out the app.

Update: Finder for AirPods has been removed from the App Store by Apple. According to the creator of the app, Apple reportedly did not like the idea of people locating their AirPods and thus the app was deemed "not appropriate for the App Store."

Apple has not confirmed the reason why the app was removed from the store, and the app's developer recommends people ask for refunds via iTunes.

Article Link: 'Finder for AirPods' App Can Help You Track Down a Missing AirPod [Update: App Removed From App Store]
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/01/06/finder-for-airpods-app/
Thought I lost mine the other day, turned out they were in my ears. I forgot I turned my music off and kept working in a quiet environment then I was like wait where are my Airpods?!

Felt stupid but it's a testament to how light and comfortable they are in my ears.
 
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It's quite shocking how some random third-party developer thought of this when some multi-billion dollar company didn't.

It's a pretty good concept and better than nothing.
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BaccaBossMC said:
Because then they would lose money if people could find their AirPods instead of buying new ones.
Click to expand...
We need to get Tim Crook out of Apple.

Make
Apple
Great
Again!
 
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It would be better if it also was able to find the case as well.

Airpods are pretty useless without the case. So if you lose the case you may as well have lost the airpods. Replacement cases are also available, but it would be much cheaper if this app could find the case too.
 
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It would be cool if the AirPods were designed to maintain some battery reserve specifically for a finding-app like this.

Then again, I guess I could say the same thing for the iPhone, but it uses the "send last location" feature, which accomplishes the same thing (as long as it's not being moved, of course).
 
tywebb13 said:
Really? I tested it out too and I though it worked OK, except that I'd prefer if it could also find the case too.
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You're going to have to wait until Apple implements that. The case has nothing built-into it that is trackable as far as I know.
 
Mac 128 said:
You're going to have to wait until Apple implements that. The case has nothing built-into it that is trackable as far as I know.
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Well I think it does because the device can see the battery level on the case as well as the airpods. So as long as it is paired, the device can "see" the case.
 
Losing the atv remote isn't such a bad problem actually, because there is the apple tv remote app which is free and a much cheaper option than buying a replacement remote.

I didn't actually lose one of my remotes, but it got damaged. So rather than buy a replacement, I got the app instead and it works OK.

For this reason, I don't think apple will remove the new Finder for Airpods app. And provided it helps you actually find the lost airpod, then it is a much cheaper software solution to the hardware replacement option.

And apple have already set a precedent with their own apple tv remote app.
 
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vertsix said:
It's quite shocking how some random third-party developer thought of this when some multi-billion dollar company didn't.

It's a pretty good concept and better than nothing.
[doublepost=1483718525][/doublepost]
We need to get Tim Crook out of Apple.

Make
Apple
Great
Again!
Click to expand...
I don't think any company wants to admit that a product might be easy to lose. Find my iphone is a bit different since it could be stolen and theres tons of personal info on it so I get why that exists.
 
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