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Apple Announces 'Find My' Network Availability in South Korea

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple today announced 'Find My' network availability in South Korea. The launch brings the full range of Apple's location-based ‌Find My‌ services to South Korean customers for the first time, enabling them to keep track of devices, belongings, and loved ones.

Apple-Find-My-south-korea.jpg

With the ‌Find My‌ network enabled, users will be able to to locate their iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices, as well as AirTag-connected personal items and third-party ‌Find My‌ compatible trackers, while maintaining strong privacy protections.

One of the main features of the ‌Find My‌ network is its ability to pinpoint lost devices on a map, providing users with step-by-step directions to retrieve their misplaced items. The app also allows users to trigger a sound on their lost Apple devices, making it easier to locate them when in close proximity.

‌Find My‌ also lets users stay connected with friends and family by opting to share their location with specific contacts. This can be useful when meeting up in crowded areas, particularly for owners of iPhone 15 and later models who can take advantage of the Precision Finding capability to navigate directly to their friends' exact locations.

The original "‌Find My‌ iPhone" app was launched in 2009 alongside ‌iPhone‌ OS 3. "‌Find My‌ Mac" was added to OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011, while "‌Find My‌ Friends" was released in October 2011. With the release of iOS 13 and macOS 10.15 Catalina, the functionality of ‌Find My‌ ‌iPhone‌, ‌Find My‌ Mac, and ‌Find My‌ Friends was unified into the app we know today as ‌Find My‌.

Article Link: Apple Announces 'Find My' Network Availability in South Korea
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/04/01/apple-announces-find-my-network-korea/
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Reactions: mongrong
Why is it that some features already in use for several years only becoming available in certain countries years later?

On another note, I hate region-locking of music and other content. You have to use a VPN to access music and other content not available in your region.
 
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winxmac said:
Why is it that some features already in use for several years only becoming available in certain countries years later?

On another note, I hate region-locking of music and other content. You have to use a VPN to access music and other content not available in your region.
Click to expand...
In this case, it could be a security issue with. Apple has to follow regulations of every country they do business in.

As far as region locked music, that’s technical piracy accessing music that you otherwise would not have access to.

Music is licensed that’s why you may have access in America since Apple has a license to distribute the music in America but not Australia where it does not a license or right to distribute.

apps may not be available due to again a country’s regulations. Some countries may have a ban on racier apps while others don’t care.

It makes sense.

higgalls said:
Big missed opportunity here. Could have changed it to North Korea and then at the end said, “April fools”.
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It’s the fact I actually did read it as North Korea and I was like “when did North Korea start selling iPhones? Wouldn’t they be glorified expensive iPod touches at best? 🤣🫣

It’s 6:15 am. Time to to back to sleep lmao
 
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So that’s why when a family member traveled there last summer I couldn’t see where they were. I had no idea as I thought this was universal.
 
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winxmac said:
Why is it that some features already in use for several years only becoming available in certain countries years later?

On another note, I hate region-locking of music and other content. You have to use a VPN to access music and other content not available in your region.
Click to expand...
Because different countries have different regulations, and Apple has to follow them.

I learned this when I landed in Seoul last year and the AirTag in my bag showed it was still at Osaka Airport. I thought Korean Air lost my bag, then it came out of the carousel.
 
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Will it work for visitors to South Korea (ie non-South Korean nationals visiting Seoul)?
For those who have never been, most mapping services do not work (or have very limited functionality) in South Korea. While frustrating it is understandable considering they are still at war with their neighbor.
 
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juniord said:
Will it work for visitors to South Korea (ie non-South Korean nationals visiting Seoul)?
For those who have never been, most mapping services do not work (or have very limited functionality) in South Korea. While frustrating it is understandable considering they are still at war with their neighbor.
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Yes, it will work for anyone in Korea, regardless of the origin.

Wikipedia's article explains why South Korea doesn't permit (or at least make it difficult) for foreign companies like Apple and Google to deploy mapping service there.
... law prohibits state-led survey data from crossing the physical boundaries of Korea.
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Many government facilities that are plainly visible to the naked eye from the public street, such as the presidential residence, must be fully censored (including the streets the location is in) by the mapping services.
 
Surprised that the feature was not available in the region. Wonder why it takes a long time for some of the features to reach other countries.
 
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svish said:
Surprised that the feature was not available in the region. Wonder why it takes a long time for some of the features to reach other countries.
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In some cases, like this one, it's due to local laws. In other cases it might just be due to it not being a large enough priority for Apple.
 
winxmac said:
Why is it that some features already in use for several years only becoming available in certain countries years later?

On another note, I hate region-locking of music and other content. You have to use a VPN to access music and other content not available in your region.
Click to expand...

Don't forget they are technically still at war with North Korea. They have very strict regulations on maps there. May be the reason I guess.
 
btz-tech23 said:
oh shiiii, Korea’s gonna get even more tracking scandals…
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Don't tell about something you don't know about. In S. Korea, many radical women who believe in certain ideas are deliberately spreading false information on Instagram or X, which is a huge social problem. And then someone like you saw the post, comment or something and repost that. Those process never stop.
 
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