Apple's New 'Find My' App for macOS and iOS Can Find Your Devices Even When They're Offline

[MacRumors]

Apple's "Find My Friends" app is being revamped in macOS Catalina and iOS 13, and will now be called simply "Find My." The new version of the app combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends.

The major feature of the updated app is that it can now locate Apple devices that are offline, making it even easier to find your iPhone or MacBook if you ever happen to lose it.

Apple said that when a device is offline and sleeping, it sends out a secure Bluetooth beacon that can be detected by other Apple devices nearby, even the ones owned by other people. This results in a network that works to find lost Apple devices through a secure, encrypted, and anonymous signal relay.

Article Link: Apple's New 'Find My' App for macOS and iOS Can Find Your Devices Even When They're Offline

 

[r98266]

Creepy

 

[benshive]

Creepy

Not really. I think it's really cool. Just taking advantage of the fact that you're probably always within a few feet of another iPhone.

 

[d5aqoëp]

This feature gets a thumbs up from me.

 

[Codpeace]

This is super cool! Wow...

 

[chscag]

Law enforcement is going to love this.

 

[NickName99]

Wow, this is a really powerful feature. I definitely wouldn’t trust it from anyone but Apple; implemented carelessly, it could potentially lead to offline device hacking.

 

[macfacts]

So how long does apple keep this data they have when constantly tracking you?

 

[Codpeace]

Law enforcement is going to love this.

Well, maybe, and I will certainly want to learn more about the privacy protections built into the system. Among other things, I would imagine you can turn it on upon your need for it arising -- there should be a way to do this remotely through an Apple account based on the registered ID of your device's BT hardware.

But for sure: consumers are going to love it. Find My "X" helped me find my brand-new iPad a few years back after I had carelessly forgotten it in the rush to exit a cab.
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So how long does apple keep this data they have when constantly tracking you?

They really shouldn't ever need to have any of it ever. Or if they do, there should be a key entirely private to the device's owner. These seem like simple matters to engineer.

 

[Defthand]

Honestly, how necessary is this feature? How do people misplace their phones when they are virtually sewed to them.

 

[ninjahaiku]

Cool, so Skynet?

 

[realtuner]

Creepy

Hardly. Do you think it's creepy that all your Internet traffic gets routed through numerous devices before you finally see it? Why aren't you screaming bloody murder about all the "men-in-the-middle" devices that are handling all your traffic for you?

So how long does apple keep this data they have when constantly tracking you?

So....you're just going to invent some scenario when you have no idea how it works yet? Figures.

 

[theapplehead]

What kind of battery drainage should we expect from a constant Bluetooth signal being emitted? Just curious.....

 

[ASFx]

Apple is doing something very similar to what Tile does. I think this is a great feature. I've already got a tile in my bags and wallet, etc. So now that the same features will be built right in, I won't have to carry around my Tiles anymore

 

[Awsaim]

Can’t wait to see how this works.

 

[ASFx]

What kind of battery drainage should we expect from a constant Bluetooth signal being emitted? Just curious.....

Bluetooth is an extremely low power tech. if it's anything like the power consumption used on the Tile devices, it will be completely unnoticeable. Tiles run on a single small battery for over a year.

 

[mrcrlee]

This is great. Should help me find my AirPods when they are left somewhere (in my house) after I drink a few too many beers.

 

[realtuner]

What kind of battery drainage should we expect from a constant Bluetooth signal being emitted? Just curious.....

Bluetooth beacons (Apple specifically called it a beacon) use next to nothing for power. Your battery will drain faster from your device being in standby than it will from a beacon.
[doublepost=1559590564][/doublepost]

This is great. Should help me find my AirPods when they are left somewhere (in my house) after I drink a few too many beers.

I’m thinking that a device that’s in Airplane mode (either by accident or intentionally done by a thief) can still send out a beacon and allow you to locate it.

 

[joss.b]

Definitely two thumbs up for this new feature. I just wonder: will it only work during regular sleep, or during hibernation too? Because I always go into hibernation, FileVault locked, so that would be a bummer, if it only worked with regular sleep.

 

[Shirasaki]

Creepy

Law enforcement is going to love this.

Maybe not so much about law enforcement because you can 100% expect them having all of your data by the time you are arrested anyway. But creepy indeed. Reminds me that Apple has remote assistant software built into iOS that can at least view your screen.

In 2019, turning off a device is literally IMPOSSIBLE.

 

[scrapesleon]

Finally this is what we been asking for

 

[Ghost31]

Honestly, how necessary is this feature? How do people misplace their phones when they are virtually sewed to them.

Phones? What about when they get stolen out of gym lockers. What about when an iPad was stolen out of my car when it was broken into? What about those with Mac laptops when their house gets broken into?

Really? This is the prime example of consumers having no vision unless theyre told explicitly what something is good for

 

[Bamff]

Deleted

 

[phalseHUD]

I'd like to see a find friends integration with Siri/Maps... For instance, the ability to ask for directions to 'Clarrrisa', or whatever your friend might be called. Would make picking someone up a bit easier in a strange place

 

[Focusx0131]

What kind of battery drainage should we expect from a constant Bluetooth signal being emitted? Just curious.....

Since the majority of these devices are BT 5.0 LE, not very much. They updated iOS years ago to keep BT on even when you flip it off through control center because it needs to be on to be connected to your Apple Watch or AirPods anyway.