It just became a whole lot harder to lose your Sony earbuds — new updates brings a swathe of new features
Track your buds with your phone
Wireless earbuds are great. They're convenient, imminently portable, and they even sound pretty great. There is just one problem with them, as a concept. They are perhaps the most loseable pieces of tech that you can spend your money on.
I'm not even talking about the buds themselves, although they are the most likely culprit for disappearing forever. Even the cases, as manufacturers shrink them down to fit into ever smaller bags and pants pockets, are easy to miss-lay.
Owners of the AirPods Pro 2 and now the AirPods 4 with ANC know very well that this doesn't have to be the case. A tracking screen on your phone thanks to Apple's excellent Find My function helps you locate your earbuds in even the most irritating places. Think down the back of the sofa, or nestled inbetween some cushions. Or under your Dad.
Sony has just made its excellent WF-1000XM5, WH-1000XM5, and LinkBuds S almost as unlosable as the AirPods Pro 2, by adding in support for Google's version of Find My. That means you can use your phone to track your headphones when you forget where you've left them.
But wait, there's more
Further cementing Sony's place at the top of the best headphones list, there are more updates that make some of our favorite buds and headphones even better. Google Fast pair is coming to a pair of buds near you, making them easier than ever to hook up to your Android handset. That also brings Auto Switch to the WF-1000XM5 and the WH-1000XM5, which lets you pick up where you left off on the new LinkBuds speaker.
Just hop into the Sony Sound Connect app, and grab the updates for your headphones. You'll need to be on Android version 9.0 or later, and Apple users will need iOS 16 or later to get the update.
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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.