Hong Kong Man Recovers Lost AirPods in Canada
Three years after losing his AirPods Pro in Hong Kong, the owner got them back after Canada-based volunteers tracked the device to Markham, Ontario.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Remote Work
A Hong Kong man recovered his AirPods Pro in Markham, Ontario, Canada, after tracking the device with Apple's Find My function and posting screenshots online. The earbuds were lost on 31 October 2023 at Hollywood Plaza in Diamond Hill, Hong Kong.
Why it matters
The case shows how device-location tools and online community networks can reconnect owners with lost property across great distances. It also illustrates how a lost item can change hands through informal resale channels and still be traced back to its owner.
The owner tracked the AirPods Pro through Apple's Find My function, which placed the signal in a residential area of Markham, Ontario, about 12,540 kilometres from Hong Kong. The source does not explain how the device moved between the two cities.
The details
The owner lost the AirPods Pro, engraved with the word "KARIF," at Hollywood Plaza in Diamond Hill on 31 October 2023. He posted Find My screenshots on Threads, and volunteers in Canada visited the indicated Markham address to make enquiries.
Timeline
31 October 2023: AirPods Pro lost at Hollywood Plaza, Diamond Hill, Hong Kong.
5 November 2026: Owner confirmed recovery of the lost AirPods Pro in Canada.
Remote Work
The recovery relied on Apple's Find My function, the same location service that device owners use to trace lost AirPods, iPhones and other Apple hardware. Here the tool was used across a distance of about 12,540 kilometres, with a Canada-based volunteer doing the in-person follow-up.
Enabling Find My location tracking on AirPods and other Apple devices lets owners follow a lost item's signal if it is taken out of the area. Engraving a name or mark on a device, as the owner did with "KARIF," can help a finder identify whose property it is.
The takeaway
Turning on Find My for portable devices gives you a location trail if they go missing, and a visible engraving can help a finder return them. Those two steps made this recovery possible across more than 12,000 kilometres.
Further reading
For more on how distributed teams and cross-border coordination work, see Remote Work.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dimsum Daily.
