• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechThe Mobile Executive

Apple Banned This App for AirPods as ‘Not Appropriate’

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 9, 2017, 11:32 AM ET
Video screen image of Apple AirPods during a media event in San Francisco
Video screen image of Apple AirPods during a media event in San Francisco, California, U.S. September 7, 2016. Reuters/Beck Diefenbach - RTX2OJO3Beck Diefenbach — Reuters

A new app to help people find a lost AirPod piece has been banned by Apple, the developer says.

Mobile app developer studio Deucks Pty released the app, called “Finder for Airpods,” last week. The app used the iPhone to track the Bluetooth wireless signal emitted by the two AirPod units to help locate the lost piece, displaying a line showing whether the user was getting closer or farther away based on signal strength.

Excitement about Apple’s new wireless earphones has almost been matched by anxiety about how easy it could be to lose one of the two unconnected mini speakers. So there was an initial burst of enthusiasm about the new app, which quickly garnered a rating of four and a half stars.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

But on Monday, the app had vanished from the Apple App Store—and developer Raajit Sharm at Deucks Pty says it’s not coming back.

“Apple determined the ‘concept’ of people finding their AirPods with the app was deemed ‘not appropriate for the App Store,'” Sharm wrote in an email to Fortune. “The app will not return back.”

Apple (AAPL) has in the past removed apps from the App Store for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from inappropriate content to improper use of the iPhone’s hardware to more mundane technical software problems. Fortune reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story if any is received.

The tech giant announced the $159 AirPods back in September when the company unveiled its new iPhone 7 line and its controversial design decision to remove the headphone jack. But the high-tech wireless earphones didn’t go on sale until December, when they quickly sold out ahead of the holidays.

Apple says it will replace a lost AirPod earpiece for $69 each.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

BankingBank of America
Bank of America’s Moynihan says AI’s economic benefit is ‘kicking in more’
By Katherine Chiglinsky, Steve Dickson and BloombergDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
man in suit
Personal FinanceCryptocurrency
Notorious crypto conman Sam Bankman-Fried has a prison passion project: giving legal advice to other inmates
By Carlos GarciaDecember 22, 2025
2 hours ago
AI nude
CybersecurityEducation
13-year-old girl attacked a boy showing an AI-generated nude image of her. She was expelled
By Heather Hollingsworth, Jack Brook and The Associated PressDecember 22, 2025
3 hours ago
AITech
In 2000 Larry Page said Google was ‘nowhere near’ the ultimate search engine—25 years later, Gemini might be close
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 22, 2025
3 hours ago
Photo of Colin Angle
InnovationAutomation
‘It’s a cage match’: Beleaguered iRobot founder says the biggest reason why the Roomba-maker failed was because of growing Chinese competition
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 22, 2025
5 hours ago
Big TechMeta
Meta’s Threads makes a play for podcasters and their rabid fans
By Ashley Carman and BloombergDecember 22, 2025
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Future of Work
Meet a 55-year-old automotive technician in Arkansas who didn’t care if his kids went to college: ‘There are options’
By Muskaan ArshadDecember 21, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Multimillionaire musician Will.i.am says work-life balance is for people 'working on someone else’s dream'—he grinds from 5-to-9 after his 9-to-5
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 21, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
A Walmart employee nearly doubled her pay after entering its pipeline for skilled tradespeople. 'I was able to move out of my parents' house'
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressDecember 20, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Even if the Supreme Court rules Trump's global tariffs are illegal, refunds are unlikely because that would be 'very complicated,' Hassett says
By Jason MaDecember 21, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Travel & Leisure
After pouring $450 million into Florida real estate, Larry Ellison plans to lure the ultrarich to an exclusive town just minutes from Mar-a-Lago
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 22, 2025
8 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeDecember 22, 2025
6 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.