A woman I don't know came to my house twice, saying the Find My app showed her missing AirPods at my address. She returned with her boyfriend, insisted I must have picked them up, and said they had contacted the police. I have never seen the AirPods, and she has never been inside my home. How can Find My place them at the wrong house, and what should I do if they come back?
3 Answers
Since you saw them searching outside and heard the police call, it may not be a scam, but the app can still be wrong. A nearby device or a location estimate could have put the pin on your address even though the AirPods are somewhere else. Save your doorbell footage, avoid arguing with them, and tell them that any further accusations should go through law enforcement.
Find My locations aren’t always precise, especially around houses and apartment buildings. The map may be showing the approximate location of a nearby device that detected the AirPods, not proof that they’re inside your home. The location can also be stale if the AirPods are out of battery or haven’t connected recently. You don’t need to prove a negative or let anyone inside. Tell them clearly that you don’t have the AirPods and ask them to leave your property. If they refuse, become threatening, or return repeatedly, contact the police yourself and keep your doors locked.
If the AirPods are still powered and connected, they can try the Play Sound option while standing outside. If nothing is heard, that supports your explanation, although silence still isn’t absolute proof because the battery may be dead, they may be offline, or the sound may be difficult to hear. Don’t allow strangers to search your home based only on an app location.
I saw them searching along the sidewalk on my doorbell camera before they knocked, so I’m less worried that it was an attempt to enter the house and more confused about why the app displayed my address.