Find My Friends comes to the Web via Apple's iCloud.com
Apple's Find My Friends service can now be accessed from any mobile device, including a Windows PC, thanks to its debut on the iCloud.com portal.
While the Find My iPhone service has been available from iCloud.com for years, Find My Friends has remained limited to an iOS app. Last month, Find My Friends also came to the Mac via a widget built in to OS X 10.11 El Capitan.
But users who wanted to access the Find My Friends service without an iPhone, iPad or Mac couldn't do so until Wednesday's update.
Of course, activating Find My Friends still requires an iPhone or iPad, which allows the service to track users' current locations. The opt-in social networking feature allows friends to share their exact location on a map.
Find My Friends and Find My iPhone also became a more prevalent part of the Apple ecosystem earlier this year when both became native, preinstalled apps on iOS 9. Previously, users had to access the iOS App Store and download the software.
iOS 9 also includes a Find My Friends widget to match the OS X Notification Center widget. However, there is no dedicated, standalone Find My Friends app for OS X.
Other services available via iCloud.com include:
While the Find My iPhone service has been available from iCloud.com for years, Find My Friends has remained limited to an iOS app. Last month, Find My Friends also came to the Mac via a widget built in to OS X 10.11 El Capitan.
But users who wanted to access the Find My Friends service without an iPhone, iPad or Mac couldn't do so until Wednesday's update.
Of course, activating Find My Friends still requires an iPhone or iPad, which allows the service to track users' current locations. The opt-in social networking feature allows friends to share their exact location on a map.
Find My Friends and Find My iPhone also became a more prevalent part of the Apple ecosystem earlier this year when both became native, preinstalled apps on iOS 9. Previously, users had to access the iOS App Store and download the software.
iOS 9 also includes a Find My Friends widget to match the OS X Notification Center widget. However, there is no dedicated, standalone Find My Friends app for OS X.
Other services available via iCloud.com include:
- Mail
- Contacts
- Calendar
- Photos
- iCloud Drive
- Notes
- Reminders
- Pages
- Numbers
- Keynote
- Settings
Comments
Do people really use this feature???
Do people really use this feature???
Everyday, absolutely.
Do people really use this feature???
Yes.
Some day, iMessage... Some day.
Not so sure about that. As long as they maintain encryption between devices, with Apple having no access to the message content, I don't see how they would show it on a Web page?
Everyday, absolutely.
All the time. With the other party's explicit permission, of course. But it's super useful sometimes, especially with notifications of when someone is leaving work, on their way home, ETA, etc.
I'd also like see Apple port their Maps app backend to maps.apple.com so that it can be used for more than Find my iPhone and Find my Friends, and presumably other apps like Contracts and Calendar.
Adding Find My Friends gives me renewed hope that these could be coming down the line.
All the time. With the other party's explicit permission, of course. But it's super useful sometimes, especially with notifications of when someone is leaving work, on their way home, ETA, etc.
OK. Thanks. Just curious as I haven't seen a particular need for the app and have it buried. I guess I just use calls and texts for stuff like that.
i just learned details about how it works -- and enabled it on our devices. my partner and i can label our locations ("work", "home", "gym") and then add it to as a Today-view widget... plus we can ask to get notifications when the other leaves work or the gym or whatever in order to get dinner going. neat.
Yess!!! I've been waiting for this for so many years. I use this every day. Now, if only we could get Safari Bookmarks / Reading List and, well, iMessages, of course
edit yeah maps.apple.com would be awesome too. That, and iBooks Author for iCloud, obviously...
And better Garageband for iOS <-> iCloud <-> Logic Pro X integration.
It's also nice if you have children you can setup a geo-fence to get notified if they leave school or a friend's house, or you can set up a location reminder with a geo-fence to get notified in your spouse is at the grocery store so you can remind them to pick up certain items they may have a history of forgetting. I do this with my Reminders app for myself and have plenty of Notes that list various things I need To Do because I know my memory isn't perfect.
"Work smarter, not harder." — Scrooge McDuck
It's also nice if you have children you can setup a geo-fence...
"Work smarter, not harder." — Scrooge McDuck
My apologies if this comes across poorly over the internet.
But that sentence made me laugh as it conjured a thought of putting those invisible fence shock collars on kids.
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I know, I know, I am a horrible human being.
Love the Scrooge McDuck quote btw.
Too bad many employers now block access to iCloud and other web based apps that allow data sharing. I found it was very useful for sharing Notes between all my devices for reference at work. But alas, that door's been shut. I guess companies cannot be paranoid enough about info leakage. As long a they are paying the bills they get to call the shots.
Some day, iMessage... Some day.
Yeah, I am also waiting for this day ... since thousands of days ...
Not so sure about that. As long as they maintain encryption between devices, with Apple having no access to the message content, I don't see how they would show it on a Web page?
I've heard that before, so I guess there's something to it. Same goes for linking text boxes I guess
Are *our* (I don't store mine in iCloud yet) photos not encrypted in iCloud? If they are, how is that any different than an iMessage?
I use FF all the time, and its addition to iCloud.com is great, and makes me hopeful they'll bring more services online (Messages please!). But I think the really interesting part is that Apple Maps in now in a web browser. Sneaky
This should be used in a limited manner IMO. While seemingly harmless, it is a way to keep tabs on where someone is at all times. It can be useful, as mentioned, for geofencing but it can be abused. You may be head-over-heels in love with your partner but that doesn't mean they would be cool with you tracking their every movement
Every persona using FMF can show or hide their location at will, even after they willing allow you to see their location. You can also add timeframes so that your location will only be seen for, say, a day if you're going to be at some large public event with others.