Why aren't my AirPods playing a sound? Why can't I see AirPods in Find My?
Looking for a lost pair of AirPods? Find My helps to keep track of any Apple devices logged into your iCloud account. AirPods and AirPods Pro can be easy to misplace, however they are also included in Find My. When launching Find My you should see the last known location of your AirPods on a map. Typically this shows the last time at which your AirPods were connected to your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook.
One great feature of Find My is that stray AirPods can play a sound. Unfortunately this only works if the AirPods are separate from their case, paired to an online device, or within Bluetooth range. Otherwise, the sound will be pending until a connection is made. This means AirPods that are lost while stowed inside the charging case cannot be tracked live on the map or play a sound.
Note that AirPods Pro (2nd generation) can track the charging case independently of the AirPods if they should get separated. This model can also play a sound from the charging case.When AirPods are offline or out of range, a location may not be available. This could also mean they need to be charged.