Why your Bluetooth earbuds don't show up in a scan
When a finder app can't see earbuds that are right next to you, the cause is usually the earbuds, not the app. Earbuds that are already connected to your phone, sitting in a closed case or out of battery often don't appear in a scan.
Causes and fixes
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Already connected to your phone | Disconnect in Bluetooth settings, then scan again |
| Charging case is closed | Open the case or take one bud out |
| Dead battery | No signal, check the last place you used them |
| Bluetooth or permission off | Turn Bluetooth on and allow Nearby devices |
| Shows up without a name | Identify it by type, last 4 address characters and signal |
Too many devices in the list
In an apartment or office you may see dozens of Bluetooth devices. Sort by signal strength and hide weak signals to keep only nearby ones. Opening and closing the earbud case and watching which device appears also helps.
Doing it with Budsonar
Budsonar lists devices strongest first and lets you hide weak signals and search by name. Unnamed devices are labeled by type and the last 4 characters of their address. On Android 12 and newer it scans without location permission.
Scan again and find your earbuds
Get Budsonar on Google Play