Apple’s Find My will soon be useful for more than tracking down your lost AirPods or a stolen iPhone. When iOS 14 arrives, it’ll introduce a network accessory program that allows finding third-party devices. A draft specification for hardware makers is available now, although you’ll clearly have to wait until both the general release of iOS 14 and finished implementations for those gadgets.
A completed spec should be available by the end of 2020.
This could be a boon for many hardware manufacturers, not to mention anyone who has a habit of leaving devices behind. However, it could be particularly useful for item trackers that, until now, have had to rely on third-party apps with limited iOS integration. Tile recently lodged a complaint with EU officials that, in part, complained about Find My having wider default permissions than third-party tracking apps. This doesn’t mean Tile will suddenly embrace Apple’s approach (we’ve asked Tile for its stance on the expansion), but companies like it may have a strong incentive to support Find My knowing the advantages it offers.
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