Given their small size, misplacing AirPods is almost inevitable. If you tend to put your AirPods in your pocket or find one bud looser in your ears than the other, you have a higher chance of losing one AirPod. Here are the options you have in such a situation.

1Locate Your Lost AirPod via Find My

The first (and probably the best) shot you have at finding your lost AirPod is to attempt to locate it usingApple’s Find My app. Tolocate your lost AirPod using the Find My app, here’s what you need to do:

You’ll see a list of options to help you locate your lost AirPods, such as playing a sound or getting directions. You can alsoactivate Apple’s Lost Modefrom the same menu. This way, you’ll be notified when someone finds your AirPods and the finder will be able to see your contact details.

List of devices in the Find My app on an iPhone

You can only use Find My to locate your lost AirPod if you had Find My enabled on a paired iPhone, iPad, or Mac prior to misplacing it. If not, you’ll need to consider one of the options below.

2Opt for a Replacement

If Find My wasn’t enabled on a paired Apple device and you couldn’t locate your lost AirPod by retracing your steps, your next best option is to replace your lost AirPod. According to Apple’s Get an Estimate tool, if you have the first, second, or third-gen AirPods, a replacement AirPod will cost you around $69.

For the first or second-generation AirPods Pro, you can expect to pay around $89 for a replacement.

Left Bud and Right Bud location in Find My app

The above pricing is applicable even if you paid foran AppleCare+ extended warranty planwhen you purchased your AirPods.

3Get New AirPods Instead

Purchasing new AirPods is usually a much better option than spending $69 or $89 on a replacement bud. If you’ve been using your AirPods for a few years and own an older model (like the first-gen AirPods or AirPods Pro), it may be time to start fresh and upgrade to a newer model anyway. Newer models often feature improvements like betteractive noise cancellation (ANC), battery life, and more.

While getting new AirPods will cost you much more than the price of one replacement AirPod, the new features ultimately make the investment worthwhile. If you look around a bit, you’ll find AirPods on sale onAmazonor stores like Best Buy, especially during the holiday season or sales events like Prime Day.

Different options to track the left AirPod using the Find My app on an iPhone

Apple’s Get an Estimate tool page showing the replacement cost for AirPods 3rd Generation

Apple’s Get an Estimate tool page showing the replacement cost for AirPods Pro 2nd generation