Experts at Which? have revealed simple tricks to find lost phones and wireless earphones, even if the devices are on silent. Apple's Find My and Google's Find Hub services can locate a handset and make it play a loud sound, even when the ringer is switched off.
Finding an iPhone on silent
Apple's Find My service can make a missing iPhone play a loud alert even if it has been left on silent or in a Focus mode. Use another Apple device, such as an iPad or Apple Watch, or sign into Apple's Find service through a web browser. Open Find My, select your missing iPhone and choose Play Sound. The map may show the phone as nearby, but GPS is not always accurate enough to identify the exact room, so the sound is often the best clue.
Finding an Android phone
Google's Find Hub provides a similar service for Android phones. Sign in from another device, select your missing handset and choose Play sound. The phone can ring at full volume even if it had been set to silent or vibrate. The exact settings vary between manufacturers, so it is worth checking Find Hub and Location are enabled now, rather than waiting until the phone disappears.
Smartwatch and Bluetooth tracker options
Apple Watch owners can use the Ping iPhone button in Control Centre to make a paired iPhone make a loud noise, even when silent mode is on. Many Wear OS watches also have a Find My Phone function for paired Android handsets. Some Bluetooth trackers, including Tile and select Chipolo models, can make your phone ring even when it's set to silent, as long as the phone is nearby and already paired with the tracker's app. Apple AirTags cannot do this; they are designed for finding keys, luggage and other belongings, but they cannot make an iPhone ring.
Making lost AirPods beep
Open Apple's Find My app, go to Devices and select your AirPods. If they are nearby, use Play Sound to make the earbuds emit a series of beeps. This is useful when an AirPod has slipped under furniture, down the side of a sofa, or become buried in bedding. Newer supported AirPods also have a Find Nearby option that can guide you towards them when you are close.
If you lose the AirPods case, its tracking depends on the model. Apple says the charging case can be located separately on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and AirPods Pro 2 and later. Supported cases can also play a sound. Older cases may not have the same tracking capabilities, and if the case has run out of battery, you may only see its last known location.
If you lose just one AirPod, Find My can help locate individual left and right earbuds on supported models. Select the missing earbud and use the sound or nearby-finding feature where available.
Prevention tips
The best time to set up tracking features is before your devices go missing. For an iPhone, check Settings > (your name) > Find My > Find My iPhone, and ensure Find My iPhone and the Find My network are on. For AirPods, go to Settings > Bluetooth > (your AirPods) and check that the Find My network is enabled, where supported. Android users should similarly check that Find Hub and Location are switched on.
