Image credit - 9to5Mac

Image credit – 9to5Mac

Earlier this month an app was launched called Finder for AirPods, which as the name implies is basically an app that lets users track down their missing AirPods headphones. Given how small the earbuds are and how expensive they are to replace, it sounded like a pretty nifty feature, but unfortunately for some reason Apple decided to remove it from the App Store.

Turns out the reason why might be pretty obvious, and that is Apple wanted to release such a feature themselves. Apple has recently started to seed the beta of iOS 10.3 to developers and one of the features in the beta is a Find My AirPods tool that more or less works the same way and helps track your AirPods down using Bluetooth. Basically it checks to see if the headphones are within Bluetooth range of your device.

This means that if you left it at work or school, it wouldn’t show up on the map. The tool will also allow users to play a sound from the AirPods that will help you locate it if it is out of sight, like if it fell down the side of the couch or if it is under a pile of clothes or under the bed. That being said we’re not sure why the Finder for AirPods app and this too couldn’t exist side-by-side as alternatives to one another, but we guess at least the feature is there.

In the meantime it seems that in the beta of iOS 10.3 there was no mention of a “theater mode” which is basically a dark mode for iOS. It is possible that it might appear in later builds but for now it is a no-show.

Filed in Apple >Audio >Cellphones >Gadgets. Read more about , , and .