How to Change the Owner of AirPods? [5 EASY Steps]

Whether you’re planning to sell your AirPods or have recently purchased a used pair, It is important to transfer the ownership of AirPods to provide a fresh start for the new user.

It ensures that the new owner has full control over the Apple AirPods and can fully enjoy all of its features. This action also removes any personal information and settings of the previous person.

Apple has made it easy to change the owner of AirPods with just a few simple steps.

QUICK ANSWER

Connect AirPods with your iPhone and open Settings. Under Bluetooth, tap on the blue info icon ⓘ next to the AirPods. Tap Forget This Device at the bottom then, perform a factory reset to erase the settings of the previous owner. Also, remove AirPods from the owner’s Apple ID to completely change its ownership.


Note: You can read this tutorial no matter which model you have: AirPods 2nd Generation, 3rd Generation, or AirPods Pro.

The following steps should be performed by the original owner who wants to transfer the ownership.

Here are 5 simple steps to Change the owner of AirPods:

Step #1: Open the AirPods Settings on iPhone

Make sure the AirPods are connected to your iPhone.

Then, follow these steps to open AirPods settings:

  1. Open the Settings ⚙️ app on your iPhone device.
    open iPhone Settings
  2. Tap on the Bluetooth option and it will display all paired devices.
    Go to Bluetooth
  3. Tap on the blue info icon ⓘ right next to the connected AirPods.
    Tap on info icon next to connected AirPods
  4. It will take you to the AirPods Settings page.

Make sure to follow this process on your iPhone. Although you can change AirPod settings on Android devices, you can’t transfer ownership.

Step #2: Rename AirPods to New Owner’s Name

Once you have entered the AirPods customization screen, the first thing you need to do is rename the AirPods.

  1. Tap on the Name field.
    Rename AirPods to owner's name
  2. Replace the previous owner’s name with the new owner’s name.
    Type new owner name to change AirPods owner
  3. Tap on Done and it will save your changes.

Once renamed, the AirPods will display the name of the new owner you just entered.

This is important because you wouldn’t want to see the old name, which can cause confusion and misunderstandings.

Step #3: Unpair the AirPods on Your Device

When it comes to changing the owner of AirPods, unpairing it from your personal Apple devices is an essential step.

It will clear and reset the existing AirPods settings to provide a fresh start for the new owner and they can set up as their own.

To unpair the AirPods on your iPhone:

  1. Swipe down to the bottom of the AirPods Settings page.
  2. Tap on the Forget This Device option.
    Tap Forget This Device button
  3. Select Forget Device in the pop-up window.
    Tap Forget Device to confirrn
  4. Tap Forget Device again to confirm this action.
    Press Forget Device to transfer ownership of AirPods

Once you have unpaired, the AirPods will be instantly removed from your iPhone or iPad device.

Note: Unpairing AirPods from your iPhone device will also remove them from all the Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account.

Therefore, it is a crucial step when transferring the ownership of your AirPods.

Step #4: Remove AirPods From the Apple ID

Unpairing the AirPods from your iPhone just removes them from all the Apple devices signed in to the same iCloud account. It doesn’t remove them from the Apple ID.

So, the previous owner can still track the AirPods location. To remove them from an Apple ID, the previous owner must remove it from the Find My app manually.

Moreover, the new owner can’t enjoy all of its features, such as Find My and location tracking, until the AirPods are removed from the previous owner’s account.

On iPhone:

  1. Sign in with the same Apple ID you used to pair your AirPods with.
  2. Open Find My app, then go to Devices.
    Open Find My app and go to Devices tab
  3. Select your AirPods from the list of devices.
    Select AirPods to change ownership
  4. Swipe up on the handle and tap Remove This Device.
    Tap Remove This Device
  5. A pop-up will appear saying these AirPods will be removed from your Apple ID. Simply tap Remove.
    Tap Remove to delete AirPods from Apple ID to delete previous owner

On Mac:

  1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in with the same Apple ID.
  2. Select Find My from the list of apps.
  3. Click All Devices and select your AirPods in the menu.
  4. Select Remove from Account, then confirm by selecting Remove again.

Once the AirPods are removed from the Apple account, the previous owner will no longer be able to track its location.

Now, the new owner will be able to configure these wireless earbuds with Find My Network and keep track of their Apple AirPods without any restrictions.

Step #5: Perform a Proper Factory Reset

The final step involves performing a factory reset of the AirPods to completely change their owner. It will remove all settings or preferences set by the previous user.

So, you must do this before handing over your AirPods to its new owner.

To perform this:

  1. Put both AirPods in the charging case and keep the lid open.
  2. Press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for at least 15 seconds.
  3. When the amber light turns white, release the button.
  4. Your AirPods are reset and ready to be used again.

This action simply resets the earbuds and does not remove them from the owner’s Apple ID they are paired with.

The previous user manually needs to remove these AirPods from the Find My app to do so.

What Happens if You Don’t Change AirPods Ownership?

Whether you are selling your AirPods or simply giving them away as a gift, it’s mandatory to properly change the ownership before handing them over.

If you don’t do this, the new owner won’t be able to link them with their own Apple ID as Apple doesn’t allow linking the AirPods with multiple Apple IDs.

Trying to do so will result in an error message saying they’re already paired to another Apple ID. However, they can still pair with their Apple devices and listen to them.

Important: The new user can’t even track the AirPods location using the Find My app because they are already linked with another iCloud account.

The new user will also not be able to use other useful features including Automatic Switching between Apple devices and Lost Mode.

Simply put, the new owner can just pair and listen to the AirPods, but won’t have access to the advanced features Apple offers for a seamless experience.

What to Do If You Purchased Used Apple AirPods?

If you’re buying used or second-hand AirPods, make sure they’re not paired with the previous owner’s Apple ID.

To confirm this, try pairing them with your Apple ID. If you get the error message saying already paired, it means they are already linked with another account.

In this case, you need to contact the previous owner to change the ownership of these AirPods. Only that person can remove them from their Apple ID.

If you’re unable to do this, you should avoid buying them. Otherwise, you won’t be able to connect those earbuds with your iCloud account.

Although you can factory reset them, it won’t help you connect them with your own Apple ID.

You can simply pair and listen to them like normal Bluetooth earbuds, but you won’t have complete control over them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Changing AirPods Ownership Mean?

Changing the ownership of AirPods means transferring the device from the previous owner’s Apple ID to another. It is a mandatory process when you are selling your AirPods or buying used ones. Otherwise, the new user will not be able to use them with their own Apple ID and enjoy all its features.

Can I Reset AirPods Without Knowing the Previous Owner?

Yes, you can reset the AirPods without the help of their previous owner and even listen to them. But, it won’t help you to connect them with your own Apple ID until they are removed from the old ID.

Can I Change AirPods Owner Without an iPhone?

You can use any Apple device to change the ownership of AirPods. Just visit iCloud.com/find and sign in with the same Apple ID linked to these AirPods. Find and remove them from the devices. Then, reset the AirPods by pressing the button located on charging for around 30 seconds, and you’re done.

How to Remove AirPods From Apple ID Without Previous Owner?

You can’t remove AirPods from an Apple ID without the help of the previous owner due to Apple’s strict security measures. All you can do is reset the device, however, you can still not pair the AirPods with a different Apple ID until the previous user removes its own ID.

Can I Remove AirPods From Someone Else’s iCloud Account?

It is not possible to remove AirPods from someone else’s iCloud account. The previous owner of the device must sign in to their iCloud account and use the Find My service to unlink AirPods from their own Apple ID. This will make it available for pairing with a new user’s iCloud account.

How to Remove Previous Owner From AirPods?

Perform a factory reset on the AirPods by pressing the button located at the back of the charging case. This action removes the device from all previously paired Apple devices owned by the previous owner. But, it won’t remove the owner’s Apple ID as this must be done by the previous owner.

Is It Possible to Track Apple AirPods Once Reset?

There is no way to track the location of Apple AirPods once they’ve been reset. Resetting the device also removes the location information. Apple’s Find My service is only useful to locate the AirPods if they are not reset.

Is It Possible to Pair AirPods with 2 Apple IDs?

You can not pair the AirPods with 2 different Apple IDs, it can only be linked to one Apple ID at a time. If you try to do so, you will come up with an error message that the device is already paired with another Apple ID.

Simplify the AirPods Ownership Changing Process

Setting up Apple products can be a bit challenging due to their tight security measures. Changing their ownership even adds further steps to mitigate the risks of device theft.

However, following the exact procedure can simplify this process. That’s why you need to follow proper steps in the right sequence to change the owner of AirPods.

Even though this process may take some time, it ensures that the new owner can have complete control of the device.

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Muhammad Bilal
Muhammad Bilal

I'm Muhammad Bilal, founder of Tech Axen. Being a tech enthusiast, I enjoy sharing tech tips and tricks with others to assist them with their issues. For this purpose, I feed this blog with articles that provide useful information on technology.

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