Can Fake AirPods Use Find My iPhone? (Solved!)
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Apple AirPods contain a unique identifier that is saved in the firmware of the device and may be used to locate them if they are lost or stolen using the “Find My” app. But can fake AirPods use Find My iPhone?
No, fake AirPods will not appear in Find My iPhone because most Bluetooth earbuds lack Apple’s Firmware, GPS locators, and Apple’s chip.
In this article, you can learn how to detect fake AirPods and how to find your AirPods if they’re lost or stolen.
Can Fake AirPods Use Find My iPhone?
If you lose your Apple AirPods, there is a good chance that you can use Find My iPhone to locate them. The AirPods have a unique identifier that is stored in the device’s firmware and can be used to find them if they are lost or stolen.
Fake Airpods or most other Bluetooth earbuds don’t have Apple’s firmware or chips. All modern Apple products have the W1 chip or the newer H1 chip which are unique to Apple devices. Find My iPhone will only work with devices that have these chips.
With the newly updated iOS 14.5 the Find My app is now also compatible with any Beats headphones powered by Apple’s W1 wireless chip or the newer H1 headphone chip.
READ MORE! Is There a Difference Between Bluetooth Earbuds and Airpods?
How Does Find My iPhone work?
If you lose your iPhone, you can use Find My Phone to track it down. To do this, you need to set up a Lost Mode on your iPhone and sign in with your Apple ID.
Once you’ve done this, your iPhone will send out a signal every time it changes location, which you can use to track it down.
To do this, you’ll need to sign in to your Apple account and open the Find My iPhone app. From there, you can use the map function to track the location of your AirPods.
This Is How You Can Identify If Your Apple Airpods Are Fake
If you’re worried that your Apple AirPods might be fake, there are multiple ways to find out.
Check the Serial Number
The serial number is a product’s fingerprint. It is a string of numbers and letters that is unique to each item manufactured. For users, the serial number serves as verification that the device came from Apple and not from another manufacturer.
For AirPods, you can find the serial number in a variety of locations. You can find it under Settings, within the charging case lid, and even on the packaging.
After identifying the serial number, head over to the Apple website on Apple’s own “Check Coverage” page and enter the number. If you have a genuine serial number you will get a message with a green checkmark saying “Valid Purchase Date”. You will also see the correct name and model number of your Apple device on the screen.
Note that fake Airpods might have different serial numbers on the earbuds and the packaging. If you see different serial numbers you should be suspicious and check if something is wrong.
Consider the Pricing of the Product
The price differential between genuine and counterfeit AirPods is the most compelling source of temptation for counterfeit consumers.
Even on sale, the Airpods is not easy to get under $100 while fake Airpods often is sold for $10-$50. If you think it’s too good of a deal, it probably is.
Investigate the Packaging for Signs of a Fake Product
Anyone who knows a thing or two about tech companies understands how much care Apple gives to the details, especially when it comes to packaging.
Things you can look for are font and color on the different parts of the packaging. Also, see if there are any misspellings or wrong factual information. Even the logo or the content of the packaging might be wrong.
Pairing and Find My feature
Counterfeit makers may mimic the physical qualities of the AirPods as precisely as they wish, but they will never be able to imitate the hardware and software. The AirPods contain Apple’s H1 or W1 chip, which allows game-changing features that are only possible with Apple’s software.
These special Apple-only characteristics can help you determine if your AirPods are genuine or not.
When you first get your Apple Airpod, it will ask you to pair it with your iPhone as soon as you hold it close, and instantly connect. The pairing process is very easy and is done in no time. Once paired, the Airpod will automatically find your iPhone if it is within range. This process is called “Easy Pairing” and will not work with a pair of fake Airpods.
You can also try the “Find My” app since this will not work unless you have a pair of authentic Airpods.
FAQ
What Happens if You Erase a Device?
When you wipe your iPhone, all of your information is erased, and you won’t be able to trace it using the Find My app.
What happens if you turn on Lost Mode for your item?
When you enable Lost Mode for a personal item with a connected AirTag or a supported third-party product, you can send a message with your phone number or email address.
If your AirTag is discovered, the message can be viewed by pressing and holding the top of their iPhone or NFC-capable smartphone to the AirTag to access found.apple.com.
If a user discovers your compatible third-party product, they may open the Find My app, pick the Items tab, hit Identify Found Item, and select the item from the list to view your message.
What happens if you activate Mark As Lost for your Apple device?
Mark As Lost remotely locks your missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac with a passcode, ensuring that your data is protected even if your device is lost.
You may also display a personalized message with your phone number on the Lock screen and track the position of your device. Learn more about using Mark as Lost.
Conclusion
AirPods are a great product, but it is possible to fake them. Fake AirPods cannot use the Find My iPhone features because of the hardware they are built upon. Check out the list above to learn how to spot fake AirPods.
Espen
Espen is the Director of ProPairing and has written extensively about Bluetooth devices for years. He is a consumer product expert and has personally tested Bluetooth devices for the last decade.
