New iOS Feature Coming: 'Find My Friends'

MacRumors · Jan 13, 2011, 12:23 AM

Some further digging into the newly released iOS 4.3 developer build has revealed settings for a new feature called "Find My Friends". The strings are associated with the Settings app and is related to "MobileMe". The obvious interpretation is that Apple may be looking to offer a location-based friend-finding service like Loopt.

Services like Loopt allow you to find your friends who near you at any given time by leveraging your mobile phone's GPS signal. The constant updates can broadcast your location to your friends to know who is nearby. Obviously, these sort of systems are opt-in only, but shows what Apple maybe up to in fleshing out their MobileMe service. Steve Jobs wrote in an email in December that the MobileMe service will get "a lot better in 2011".

Location-based services have seen incredible growth and interest in the recent years, with several companies like Twitter and Facebook offering location-based features.

Article Link: New iOS Feature Coming: 'Find My Friends'

alectheking · Jan 13, 2011, 12:24 AM

make it free like find my iPhone.

goobot · Jan 13, 2011, 12:28 AM

omg now mommies can know where their babies are!!!!!!

levitynyc · Jan 13, 2011, 12:28 AM

How am I supposed to cheat on my wife then? :-)

Thats a pretty cool feature so I could track where my delivery guys are to make sure they are not somewhere they aren't supposed to be.

I'd imagine if I was still in high school, or college and actually had friends, this would be a blast.

EricNau · Jan 13, 2011, 12:30 AM

I still think it would be nice if members of a MobileMe Family Pack could locate each other (with permission, of course). Seems like a very obvious missing feature, especially given the existence of the 'Find My iPhone' iPhone app.

But locating friends would certainly be... interesting. Don't think I'd be signing up, though.

Moyank24 · Jan 13, 2011, 12:35 AM

Stalking made easier in 2011. Thanks Steve!!

Cool feature though.

JAT · Jan 13, 2011, 12:38 AM

Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

Fraaaa · Jan 13, 2011, 12:42 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAT

Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

There is another feature called "Find new friends."

BlueRevolution · 12:56 AM

Ah, the greatest innovation in stalking since the homing beacon. It's everywhere now!

A member of the Tunisian Pirate Party was arrested and subsequently beaten in detention after being located… via Foursquare. Turns out authoritarian dictatorships don't like people challenging their authority.

I know I don't have to use it, but this stuff still scares the hell out of me.

the vj · Jan 13, 2011, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAT

Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

This application is for people who loose their friends, like in a party.

If you do not have any friends? I do no... ask Steve.

JAT · Jan 13, 2011, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the vj

This application is for people who loose their friends, like in a party.

If you do not have any friends? I do no... ask Steve.

It's called "humor". Look it up. And then look up "lose".

Bonch · Jan 13, 2011, 01:02 AM

Booty Call

StuddedLeather · Jan 13, 2011, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAT

Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fraaaa

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

There is another feature called "Find new friends."

+1

The both of you Lulz!

fox10078 · Jan 13, 2011, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the vj

This application is for people who loose their friends, like in a party.

If you do not have any friends? I do no... ask Steve.

Yes, I've been to many festivals and concerts where this would have been so nice to have.

Krafty · Jan 13, 2011, 01:14 AM

Oooooooh, my asian friends are gonna hate me....

Consultant · Jan 13, 2011, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAT

Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?

Or friends on MobileMe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bonch

Booty Call

There's an App for that! =)

TuffLuffJimmy · Jan 13, 2011, 01:17 AM

They need an app to Make Me Friends.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krafty

Oooooooh, my asian friends are gonna hate me....

Perhaps they will release an update and call it Find My Asian Friends.

longmover · Jan 13, 2011, 01:20 AM

Stop saying "Leveraging" it's not a real word! Why not just say using?

/rant

TuffLuffJimmy · Jan 13, 2011, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longmover

Stop saying "Leveraging" it's not a real word! Why not just say using?

/rant

It makes one sound smarter for some odd reason, like when people say "Sarah, Johnny, and myself are going to the theater." Myself makes no sense used that way!

Krafty · Jan 13, 2011, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TuffLuffJimmy

Perhaps they will release an update and call it Find My Asian Friends.

I would personally give Steve Jobs a lap dance.

After I confirm that it works.

cocky jeremy · Jan 13, 2011, 01:35 AM

So. Lets take bets. How long until Apple gets sued because the crazy ex-bf kills his ex? lol.

blackberrypilot · Jan 13, 2011, 01:50 AM

Oh very nice!! I don't use loopt, but I do Foursquare. Go apple!

street.cory · Jan 13, 2011, 01:54 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JtEX...eature=related

Matthew Yohe · Jan 13, 2011, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longmover

Stop saying "Leveraging" it's not a real word! Why not just say using?

/rant

It's... not a real word?

torbjoern · Jan 13, 2011, 02:24 AM

This feature will serve two important functions:

1) In California, you can always find your friends at a party
2) In Soviet Russia, Party finds YOU !!

Jan 13, 2011, 12:23 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	New iOS Feature Coming: 'Find My Friends' Some further digging into the newly released iOS 4.3 developer build has revealed settings for a new feature called "Find My Friends". The strings are associated with the Settings app and is related to "MobileMe". The obvious interpretation is that Apple may be looking to offer a location-based friend-finding service like Loopt. Services like Loopt allow you to find your friends who near you at any given time by leveraging your mobile phone's GPS signal. The constant updates can broadcast your location to your friends to know who is nearby. Obviously, these sort of systems are opt-in only, but shows what Apple maybe up to in fleshing out their MobileMe service. Steve Jobs wrote in an email in December that the MobileMe service will get "a lot better in 2011". Location-based services have seen incredible growth and interest in the recent years, with several companies like Twitter and Facebook offering location-based features. Article Link: New iOS Feature Coming: 'Find My Friends'
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:24 AM	#2
alectheking macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: cali coast	make it free like find my iPhone. __________________ black iPad 2; white iPhone 4S; 13" Macbook Air i7
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:28 AM	#3
goobot macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: long island NY	omg now mommies can know where their babies are!!!!!! __________________ Black ipod classic\|Black iPhone 3g\|itouch 2g\|Unibody Macbook \|White iPhone 3g S⃣ \|iPad\|Black iPhone 4\|Apple TV 2\|White iPhone 4 S⃣ \|Black iPhone 5
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:50 AM	#9
BlueRevolution macrumors 601 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Montreal, QC	Ah, the greatest innovation in stalking since the homing beacon. It's everywhere now! A member of the Tunisian Pirate Party was arrested and subsequently beaten in detention after being located… via Foursquare. Turns out authoritarian dictatorships don't like people challenging their authority. I know I don't have to use it, but this stuff still scares the hell out of me. __________________ Ⓟ PIRATE PARTY OF CANADA — Information leadership for the 21st century Last edited by BlueRevolution; Jan 13, 2011 at 12:56 AM.
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 01:14 AM	#15
Krafty macrumors 601 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: La La Land	Oooooooh, my asian friends are gonna hate me.... __________________ I accept women of all descent. But I'm a hell of a lot creepier around asians. [ twitter : deviant : portfolio : last.fm ]
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:28 AM	#4
levitynyc macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2006	How am I supposed to cheat on my wife then? :-) Thats a pretty cool feature so I could track where my delivery guys are to make sure they are not somewhere they aren't supposed to be. I'd imagine if I was still in high school, or college and actually had friends, this would be a blast.
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:30 AM	#5
EricNau Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Francisco, CA	I still think it would be nice if members of a MobileMe Family Pack could locate each other (with permission, of course). Seems like a very obvious missing feature, especially given the existence of the 'Find My iPhone' iPhone app. But locating friends would certainly be... interesting. Don't think I'd be signing up, though.
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:35 AM	#6
Moyank24 macrumors 68030 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: in a New York State of mind	Stalking made easier in 2011. Thanks Steve!! Cool feature though.
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 12:38 AM	#7
JAT macrumors 601 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Mpls, MN	Sure, more discrimination. What if you don't have any friends?
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 01:02 AM	#12
Bonch Banned Join Date: May 2005 Location: Lithuania	Booty Call
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 01:20 AM	#18
longmover macrumors member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wales, UK	Stop saying "Leveraging" it's not a real word! Why not just say using? /rant __________________ '08 Mac Pro octo 2.8 ghz, 6gb, HD 5870, OCZ Vertex 2 128, Dell 2408 24"
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 01:35 AM	#21
cocky jeremy macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Huntington, WV	So. Lets take bets. How long until Apple gets sued because the crazy ex-bf kills his ex? lol. __________________  24" iMac, 2.93 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 640 GB HDD   16 GB white iPhone 4 S⃣ 
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 01:50 AM	#22
blackberrypilot macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jan 2010	Oh very nice!! I don't use loopt, but I do Foursquare. Go apple!
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 01:54 AM	#23
street.cory macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2009	But what if... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JtEX...eature=related
	0

Jan 13, 2011, 02:24 AM	#25
torbjoern Banned Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: The Black Lodge	This feature will serve two important functions: 1) In California, you can always find your friends at a party 2) In Soviet Russia, Party finds YOU !!
	0

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