How to replace a lost AirPod

AirPods are among our favourite Apple products, thanks to their simplicity and seamless integration with iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. But, as with all wireless devices, they can be easily lost when you’re out jogging or your faithful dog mistakes them for a crunchy treat.

Do you soldier bravely on with a single pod, or is there a way of buying just one of Apple’s earbuds? You’ll be happy to hear that there’s a solution, and in this article we show you how to replace a lost AirPod.

Tips for finding a lost AirPod

Before you whip out the credit card, you can try using the Find My iPhone app, as this can also track AirPods. You’ll find a complete step-by-step guide in our How to find lost AirPods article.

Replacing a single AirPod

The evidence suggests you’re not alone when it comes to having an incomplete set of AirPods: in fact, Apple provides a service specifically for those who want to replace just one of the earpieces at a time. This isn’t free, unsurprisingly, but it does drastically reduce the cost of replacing an entire set of AirPods, plus it saves the solitary unit and its case being discarded and ending up in a rubbish tip somewhere.

At the time of writing, these were the costs for replacing a lost AirPod:

• AirPods – £65/US$69/A$109 each
• AirPods Pro – £85/US$89/A$139 each

If you’ve damaged or lost your AirPod Charging case, then this can also be replaced for the following prices:

• AirPod Charging Case – £55/US$59/A$95
• AirPod Wireless Charging Case – £75/US$79/A$125
• AirPod Pro Wireless Charging Case – £95/US$99/A$155

Sadly, lost AirPods are not covered by AppleCare+, so you’ll need to order a new one if the previous bud has gone missing. To purchase the replacement AirPod you can either call into a store (if they’re open) or visit the AirPod Support page where you can choose which ear the replacement AirPod will be for and place the order.

While you’re looking at spending money on new audio equipment, you should also check out our guides to the best wireless earbuds and best Beats headphones, to see if there are other products that you might prefer to AirPods.

If Apple is the way you want to go, though, read our AirPod Pros vs AirPod comparison to see what differences there are between the two models, plus best AirPod deals to see if you can save some money.