Why didn’t the Action HUD appear when I opened my AirPods charging case?

AirBuddy displays the AirPods Action HUD only when its settings and the available device information indicate that it’s useful. Check the following items if it doesn’t appear.

Make sure AirBuddy and Bluetooth are on

Open AirBuddy settings and select General. Make sure Enable and launch at login is on. AirBuddy also requires Bluetooth access and can’t detect nearby AirPods while Bluetooth is off.

If AirBuddy reports that Bluetooth permission is unavailable, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth and allow AirBuddy.

Check the Action HUD event

Open Action HUD settings. Beside Show Action HUD when, click Choose, then make sure the AirPods nearby event is on.

Check whether a Focus Filter is active

An AirBuddy Focus Filter can prevent the AirPods Action HUD while a Focus is active. Open System Settings > Focus, select the active Focus, then check its Focus Filters.

Learn more about AirBuddy Focus Filters.

Check the distance filter

In Action HUD settings, turn off Filter devices by distance temporarily. Radio conditions can make nearby AirPods appear farther away, and measuring distance can add a short delay.

Check the charging case and pairing

Most AirPods charging cases rely on the earbuds to broadcast their status. Put both earbuds in the case and open the lid near the Mac. Supported recent cases can report independently when Control with empty charging case is on in Action HUD settings.

Make sure AirPods appear in System Settings > Bluetooth. If they were paired recently, restart the Mac so macOS can provide the new device information to AirBuddy.

Show the Action HUD manually

In Action HUD settings, assign a shortcut to Show manually. Press it to display the nearest AirPods even when the automatic event doesn’t run.