Lost Android, iPhone or AirPods? Simple methods to find them fast 'even on silent'

Lost Android, iPhone or AirPods? Simple methods to find them fast 'even on silent' Millions of us waste hours hunting for phones and wireless earphones that have vanished around the home Millions of us waste hours hunting for phones and wireless earphones that have vanished around the home. But before you turn the house upside down, experts at Which? have revealed the simple tricks that can solve the mystery. And they can work even if your phone has been left on silent. Technology experts at the consumer champion say Apple's Find My and Google's Find Hub services should be the first port of call when a phone goes missing. They can locate a handset and, crucially, make it play a loud sound – even when the ringer has been switched off. For AirPods, the situation is even better on some newer models because the earbuds – and certain charging cases – can be made to beep loudly enough to track them down. How to find an iPhone that is 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. Then listen carefully. The map may show the phone as being nearby, but GPS is not always accurate enough to identify the exact room. The sound is often the best clue. How to find 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. Your smartwatch could find it in seconds Apple Watch owners can use the Ping iPhone button in Control Centre. Tap it and your iPhone will 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. Use a Bluetooth tracker Which? said some Bluetooth trackers, including Tile and select Chipolo models, can make your phone ring even when it's set to silent. The feature works over Bluetooth, so your phone needs to be nearby and already paired with the tracker's app. Perhaps suprisingly, Apple AirTags can't do this. They are designed for finding keys, luggage and other belongings, but they can't make your iPhone ring. Can you make lost AirPods beep? Yes – and this could be the quickest way to find them. Open Apple's Find My app, go to Devices and select your AirPods. If they are nearby, use Play Sound. The earbuds will emit a series of beeps, allowing you to follow the noise. This can be particularly useful when an AirPod has slipped underneath furniture, disappeared down the side of a sofa or become buried in bedding. Newer supported AirPods also have a Find Nearby option, which can guide you towards them when you are close. What if you've lost the AirPods case? This 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, meaning you can track down the case by following the beeping. But older AirPods cases do not all have the same tracking capabilities. If the case has run out of battery, you may only be able to see its last known location rather than make it produce a sound. Lost just one AirPod? Don't automatically assume the whole set has gone. With supported models, Find My can help locate individual left and right AirPods. Select the missing earbud and use the sound or nearby-finding feature where available. How to avoid losing them in the first place The best time to set up Apple's tracking features is before your phone or AirPods go missing. For an iPhone, check: Settings > (your name) > Find My > Find My iPhone. Make sure Find My iPhone and the Find My network are switched on. For AirPods, go to: Settings > Bluetooth > (your AirPods). Then check that the Find My network is enabled, where supported. Android users should similarly check that Find Hub and Location are switched on.