Apple’s Find My app might get a new security feature to prevent anyone from using the types of devices detected in the app to sneak up on you. “Article security alerts”, which are spotted in the iOS 14.5 beta, will notify you if an unknown device detected on Find My “moves with you” so that you can remove or deactivate it, 9to5Mac reports.
The feature appears to be designed to counter a scenario in which a Find My compatible device is hidden in a pocket or bag and then used to detect someone’s movements. The article security warning setting was found according to early versions of iOS 14.3 AppleInsider, but was removed until it reappeared in iOS 14.5. The setting is enabled in beta by default and it looks like Apple wants to continue. If you turn off the setting, the system will warn you that unknown devices can see your location without notifying you, Apple blogger Benjamin Mayo shared on Twitter.
Something I have not considered before: new beta includes an article security setting in Find My. This is how Apple tries to prevent ‘chase’ with AirTags. If someone hides a label in your secret, your phone will notice and warn you about it. pic.twitter.com/NVJyAZlthw
– Benjamin Mayo (@bzamayo) March 4, 2021
Addressing the risk of hacking in Find Me is new because of Apple’s plans to open the app to third-party accessories. It’s hard to hide an iPhone, iPad or MacBook in someone’s pocket to track it down, but a tiny little keyboard-sized device like Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag or Tile’s upcoming ultra wideband (UWB) tracker can be much easier. Apple’s rumored AirTags could also be a candidate for abuse, and reintroducing this feature into iOS could mean they’re on the verge of release.
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While not necessarily as powerful as a GPS beacon with a cellular radio, Apple’s Find My Network may have achieved more than you might think. If an Apple device comes close to one of these supported trackers, it can update its location, even if the tracker does not have its own internet connection. Tile’s “Community Find” feature works the same way. AirTags can theoretically increase range and precision even more, with an extra UWB signal in the label that can make it easier to find behind walls and in other rooms.
There are at least a few examples where such devices have been abused: In 2018, a woman in Texas noticed that her ex-partner was still showing up at restaurants, others’ homes, and even a trip out of town without a clear way to to know where she was, ABC 13 report. She later learned that her ex had inserted a tile tracker into the front console of her car and used it to locate her. A Texas beauty queen shared a similar chase story in 2016.