What is Apple’s Find My Network?

If you’ve ever lost an Apple device or something with an AirTag attached to it, you can use Apple’s Find My network to help track it down. Find My is a crowd-sourced network that uses Bluetooth to help you find a missing device, but how does it work, and what devices can be used with it?

While Apple’s Find My app has existed since 2011 with the release of Find My Friends alongside iOS 5, the Find My network received a massive update in 2021 and expanded to include third-party accessories. Now, Apple’s Find My network allows device manufacturers to directly integrate Find My into their products. Third-party developers can add Find My integrations to their devices, allowing them to be tracked in the Find My app just like you would with Apple devices such as an AirTag or a lost iPhone.

If you’ve been wondering how the Apple Find My network works, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll be outlining how Apple’s Find My network works, and how developers can now take advantage of it to help you keep track of your third-party Bluetooth accessories such as headphones or earbuds.

What is the Find My network?

Find your lost devices and friends

Apple’s Find My network makes use of Bluetooth sensors in Apple devices as well as compatible third-party accessories to report the location of missing devices around them. When a gadget on the Find My network detects a missing device, Apple or otherwise, the network is able to report the lost items’ approximate location back to the device owner. The Find My app comes pre-installed on all Apple devices, and when you set up your device for the first time, you can opt in or opt out of the Find My network. Here’s how to check to see if you have already opted into Apple’s Find My network:

1. If you’re using an iPhone, first go to your settings app.
2. At the top of the screen, tap your name.
3. Tap Find My
4. Here you will see the on/off sliders for the Find My network for this iCloud account.

Here’s what to do if you are using macOS to find the Find My network:

1. On your Mac, go to the Apple Menu > System Settings
2. Click your name, then iCloud
3. Under Apps using iCloud, click the button to Show More
4. Click Find My

That’s all you need to do to turn on or off the Find My app and network on your Apple devices. Once a device is added to the Find My network, its location will be updated on the hour, allowing you to locate a lost device, even if its battery has died.

You’ll there’s a section for people in the Findy My app. This is where you can turn off or on location sharing with your contacts. With two users agreeing to share their location, you can access their approximate location on a map in the Find My app.

Related

How to find your lost iPhone, AirPods, or Watch with the Find My app

The Find My app allows Apple users to locate their iPhone, Watch, AirPods, iPad, Mac, and some third-party devices. Here’s how to use it.

Which devices are compatible with Apple’s Find My network?

From headphones, to remotes, here’s what works with Find My

While everything that Apple makes is covered under the Find My app, we mentioned earlier that third-party support came to the Find My network in 2021. Now, devices that have been approved by Apple as adhering to the tech giant’s security protocols related to the Find My network will have a “Works with Apple Find My” badge. There’s a wide range of products that are now compatible with the Find My network. There’s even a new door key that will work with Find My, but, of course, you’ll also need to have the corresponding door lock.

To add a third-party device to Apple’s Find My network, follow the device’s instructions for making it discoverable, and in the Find My app, select, add a device. This makes your Find My network search for compatible devices, resulting in them being added to the network.

Finding an offline device and navigating to a device

Locate a device, even when it’s turned off

Whenever a device is added to Apple’s Find My network, it uploads an approximate location every hour. This is incredibly useful in locating an offline device. Some devices such as the Apple iPhone and MacBook can communicate with the Find My network, but this only lasts for a maximum of 24 hours after the phone has been turned off.

The Find My network also allows you to navigate to the approximate location of a missing device. Anytime I lose my AirPods in my apartment, the Find My app allows me to walk around to find the exact room where I last left the wireless earbuds. The UI is simple, showing an arrow and an indicator at the bottom of the screen that says “close” or “far.”

FAQ

Q: Are there security concerns with Apple’s Find My network?

The Find My network utilizes end-to-end encryption to keep your devices connected to the network safely. Apple can not see the location of your devices, even when they are connected to the Find My network, and any third-party device that is compatible with the Find My network has to be cleared and certified by Apple first.