Last night Apple released the new, fifth beta version of iOS 15 for developers. Even if some apps continue to have problems and close again immediately after starting, new code components show that Apple is planning to integrate the AirPods Pro (test) and AirPods Max (test) into the Find My network.
Map view shows the location of the AirPods
Thanks to the integration into the Find My network, with the release of iOS 15 in autumn this year, lost AirPods can also be searched for and potentially found again with the support of other iOS users via Bluetooth. Users then see the location of their AirPods on a map view and can also get directions in the immediate vicinity and trigger an alarm tone on the AirPods to make them easier to find. To support the Find My network, the AirPods Pro or AirPods Max are linked to the Apple ID of the user, although it is not yet clear to what extent this link differs from the previous assignment.
A reset makes it impossible to find
Even if the mechanism should be similar to that of the AirTags, lost or stolen AirPods can still be connected to other devices and also reset. As long as they are only connected to a new device that does not use the owner's Apple ID, they should continue to transfer their location to the Find My network. As soon as they are reset, however, they can no longer be located according to the current state of knowledge. To remove the AirPods Max from the Find My network, press and hold the sound control button and digital crown for 12 seconds. With the AirPods Pro, the sensors have to be covered and the stems of the earphones pressed several times.
So far, such an integration is missing in the firmware of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, but it is assume that Apple will publish corresponding updates by the time iOS 15 is released.