Borrowed some AirPods? Here's how to stop those tracking warnings

Berlin (dpa) — Ever loaned your AirPods to someone and then when you got them back you started getting tracking warnings? That happens when the earphones are still linked to the previous user's Apple ID and remain active in the "Find My" app. Fortunately it’s not too hard to solve.

Firstly, the other person must remove the AirPods from their Apple ID. That’s done in the Settings on their iPhone by tapping on the Apple ID, selecting the AirPods, and choosing "Remove device.” After confirmation using Face ID or a password, the connection between the Apple ID and the earphones is removed.

If the warnings continue to appear, the other person should open the "Find My" app on their iPhone, search for the AirPods under "Devices" and remove them there as well. After the Apple ID password has been entered, the earphones will disappear from the search. However, the location remains visible.

Resetting the AirPods can also help. To do this, put both earphones in the charging case, open the case next to your iPhone, and press the button on the back of the case for 15 seconds until the LED flashes yellow.

After the reset, the AirPods can easily be reconnected to a different Apple ID. To be on the safe side, the AirPods should also be deleted from your Bluetooth settings before reconnecting them by selecting the "Forget this device" option in the “My Devices” section.