How to Change the Owner of AirPods and AirPods Pro

Key Points

• Changing the owner of AirPods is necessary to ensure uninterrupted use and access to personalized settings.
• Before selling or gifting AirPods, the owner must be changed to allow the new user to fully utilize the features.
• When buying used AirPods, it is important to confirm that the owner has changed to avoid limitations in setting up personalized settings.
• The process of changing the owner of AirPods involves placing them in the case, changing the name in Bluetooth settings, removing the device from Find My, and giving them to the new owner.

Apple has some of the best security measures in place for its products. Thanks to the help of the Find My app, it’s incredibly difficult to disappear with someone’s devices without their permission. This is a super handy feature — especially for expensive iPhones, iPads, or MacBooks. However, it can make things a little difficult when passing a pair of AirPods from one owner to another. How do you change the owner of AirPods or AirPods Pro? Let’s walk through the steps required, complete with photos, to guide you along the way.

Why Change the Owner of AirPods?

There are three key reasons why you might need to change the owner of AirPods or AirPods Pro. No matter the motivation behind the transfer, changing ownership on your device is a necessity across the board. This simple act ensures no interruptions during future use. Now, let’s take a look at three scenarios where you might need to know this skill: selling a pair, gifting a pair, and buying a pair.

Selling a Pair

Before selling your AirPods to someone else, you have to change the owner. Without this step, the new user can’t fully utilize the features and functionalities of their newly acquired AirPods. You must remove yourself as the owner of the AirPods before the buyer can connect them to their own device. This is the only way they can access features like automatic ear detection, seamless pairing, and other personalized settings.

Gifting a Pair

Like selling them, it’s important to change the owner of AirPods before you gift a used pair to someone. This allows the recipient to set up and use the AirPods as their own, good as new. If you want the recipient to enjoy an optimized experience tailored to their preferences, then you need to take yourself off the device. Otherwise, they’ll still be linked to your Apple account. The recipient will effectively be locked out.

Buying a Pair

The same logic applies if you’re the one buying a used pair of AirPods. Before you complete the purchase, you should double-check with the seller to make sure they’ve changed the owner of the AirPods first. Only then can you set up the AirPods as your own device. Without this step, you can never set up personalized settings — keeping you from making the most of your AirPods or AirPods Pro.

How to Change the Owner of AirPods

Now, let’s walk through the steps required to change the owner of AirPods or AirPods Pro. These steps will work for your AirPods or AirPods Pro regardless of generation or model. Also, it helps to have the device fully charged before you begin. The same goes for your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook, which you’ll need for accessing the Find My feature. You wouldn’t want a device depleting its battery in the middle of this process. With this, let’s jump into it.

Step One: Place AirPods in Case

First, place the AirPods back in the charging case (if you haven’t done so already). This will streamline the process and keep the devices from getting confused over the course of the steps to come.

Step Two: Change Name in Bluetooth Settings

Second, go to your device’s Bluetooth settings and tap the “i” next to your AirPods on the list of your connections. Then, tap your device’s name. Delete your name from the device and rename it something generic to make things easier on the new owner. That way, they aren’t stuck with a product with your name on it.

Step Three: Open Find My App

Third, navigate to the Find My app on your Apple device. Tap the “Devices” tab at the bottom of the page. Once there, select your AirPods from the list of linked devices.

Step Four: Remove Device

Once you’ve tapped your AirPods from the list, you’ll be taken to a new page with Find My settings for your product. This includes their last known location, their last time of use, and tools to help you locate them if they’ve been lost. At the bottom of the page, tap “Remove This Device.”

This will delete the AirPods from your Find My and stop the device from tracking them. It’s one of the most important steps in the entire process, as the new owner would be unable to add the AirPods to their Find My settings without it.

Step Five: Give to New Owner

At last, it’s finally time to gift your AirPods to their new owner. Once in their possession, they’ll hold down on the button on the back of the case to begin the pairing process. They’ll need to follow the prompts on the screen of their Apple device to complete the change of ownership.

Conclusion

You’re all done! That’s all there is to it. If you’ve followed these steps correctly, you’ve successfully changed the owner of AirPods or AirPods Pro from one person to another. (If you bought a pair still linked to someone else’s Apple ID, then you’ll need to reach out to them to remove the device.)

The image featured at the top of this post is ©goffkein.pro/Shutterstock.com.