Apple starts allowing third-parties to join the Find My app ahead of 'AirTags' launch

Comments

• Reply 1 of 8

  retrogusto Posts: 1,112member

  January 11, 2021 6:46PM

  I wonder if this is to preemptively protect themselves against an antitrust suit from Tile. 

  
• Reply 2 of 8

  EsquireCats Posts: 1,268member

  January 11, 2021 6:52PM

  I love this, both for the advantages it brings to future non-Apple purchases. But also does away with 3rd party tracking systems which generally have vague privacy policies and questionable security. (Eg Tile; their bad rep is earned, https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/privacy-policy )

  
• Reply 3 of 8

  StrangeDays Posts: 12,884member

  January 11, 2021 7:18PM

  retrogusto said:

  I wonder if this is to preemptively protect themselves against an antitrust suit from Tile. 

  I doubt it's related to Tile's complaint, which looks like it was in May '20, and the third-party accessory program was launched in June. There is no way they developed & launched such a program 30 days later, and in response to a complaint. It surely had to be in the works.

  
• Reply 4 of 8

  roundaboutnow Posts: 735member

  January 11, 2021 9:01PM

  It would be nice if Find My more easily allowed finding devices from people not on your iCloud account (with their permission of course). While it's true that someone else can use another device to log into their account and play a sound (or lock out the device, etc), it sure would be helpful if my wife or I could remotely play a sound on her parent's phones when they misplace it and we're not around. (Calling the phone when ringer turned off doesn't work too well since their hearing can't always detect the vibration sound).

  
• Reply 5 of 8

  MisterKit Posts: 496member

  January 11, 2021 9:10PM

  I am a little puzzled about a third party device detecting other devices. It appears that any Apple device in the wild is spending batterie life, maybe cellular data, and maybe taking a performance hit. I haven't study the topic extensively. Maybe you can opt in or out.
• Reply 6 of 8

  breuh32 Posts: 1member

  January 11, 2021 11:06PM

  roundaboutnow said:

  It would be nice if Find My more easily allowed finding devices from people not on your iCloud account (with their permission of course). While it's true that someone else can use another device to log into their account and play a sound (or lock out the device, etc), it sure would be helpful if my wife or I could remotely play a sound on her parent's phones when they misplace it and we're not around. (Calling the phone when ringer turned off doesn't work too well since their hearing can't always detect the vibration sound).

  If you add them to icloud family, you can do this in the Find My app. You see all their devices and their locations. Which might be useful as well.

  
• Reply 7 of 8

  socalbrian Posts: 24member

  January 11, 2021 11:40PM

  MisterKit said:

  I am a little puzzled about a third party device detecting other devices. It appears that any Apple device in the wild is spending batterie life, maybe cellular data, and maybe taking a performance hit. I haven't study the topic extensively. Maybe you can opt in or out.

  I believe only Apple devices (1st party) can do the detecting/reporting, this allows third party devices to be detected and reported through the find my app (which is very cool). It uses a little unused space in the cellular packet for reporting so it shouldn't cost you any data. It's also been available on Apple devices for a while so if there was a measurable performance hit we'd have known about it.
  
  

  
• Reply 8 of 8

  roundaboutnow Posts: 735member

  January 11, 2021 11:44PM

  breuh32 said:

  roundaboutnow said:

  It would be nice if Find My more easily allowed finding devices from people not on your iCloud account (with their permission of course). While it's true that someone else can use another device to log into their account and play a sound (or lock out the device, etc), it sure would be helpful if my wife or I could remotely play a sound on her parent's phones when they misplace it and we're not around. (Calling the phone when ringer turned off doesn't work too well since their hearing can't always detect the vibration sound).

  If you add them to icloud family, you can do this in the Find My app. You see all their devices and their locations. Which might be useful as well.

  Thanks for the suggestion. I did actually consider that, but they have a separate iCloud account and want to keep it that way -- it keeps the payment method separate. iCloud Family puts everyone on the same payment method as established by the manager of the account.
  
  I might re-consider iCloud family for the in-laws, but it would still be nice to include other devices on the Find My list from other family or trusted friends that won't or can't be on iCloud Family.