Apple removes app that let you find your AirPods

One of the biggest problems for Apple’s AirPods (apart from “do they actually stay in your ears?”) is finding the damn things if you lose one down the back of a couch. A $3.99 app that launched last week named “Finder for AirPods" aimed to fix this problem, but Apple, for some reason, has objected. As first reported by MacRumors, the “Finder for Airpods” app has been removed for the App Store without an official explanation.

The app itself seems to have been a mixed bag. It used the AirPods’ Bluetooth signal to track them down, telling users they were warmer or colder the signal increased or decreased in strength. As MacRumors pointed out, this is a pretty inaccurate mechanism for locating a small object like an earbud, but, it’s better than nothing. The alternative? Paying $69 for a replacement.

We’ve reached out to Apple to find out why it removed the app. The inaccuracy might have been a problem, but it’s not like this was one of those turn-your-iPad-into-scales apps that are actively deceptive. We’ll update this story when we find out more. If you already purchased the app, you can request a refund through iTunes.