The app, called “Finder for AirPods,” basically used your AirPods’ Bluetooth signal to help users track them, telling users whether they were getting warmer or colder. It certainly wasn’t an accurate way to try and find your AirPods, but it was a way, and a pretty good one when the alternative is spending $69 on a replacement AirPod.
It’s not yet clear exactly why Apple removed the app, but it’s also not all that surprising. Apple routinely deletes apps from the App Store that are related to products that it releases. It also wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Apple launch a similar AirPod retrieval method at some point in the future, so it’s possible that the app was removed for that reason. Of course, it’s also totally possible that the app was removed because it’s not all that reliable. Plus, the app is totally useless if the AirPod is out of Bluetooth range, since it relies on Bluetooth connectivity to work.
The app also wasn’t free — it came with a price tag of $3.99. Thankfully, if you’ve already purchased the app you can get a refund through iTunes. All you have to do is head to the “Account” menu, then hit “View My Account,” then “See All” under “Purchase History.” There you’ll see a button to “Report A Problem” with the Finder for AirPods app.
