Apple’s new Find My feature could let you know if you’re the one being tracked

Apple’s Find My app may benefit from a new security feature to prevent someone from using the device types tracked in the app to track you down instead. “Item Security Alerts”, spotted in the beta of iOS 14.5, alert you if an unknown device tracked on Find My “moves with you” so you can remove or disable it, 9to5Mac reports.

The feature seems designed to counter a scenario where a Find My-enabled device is hidden in a pocket or bag and then used to track someone’s movements. The Item Security Alerts setting was found in early versions of iOS 14.3, according to Appleinsider, but was removed until it reappeared in iOS 14.5. The setting is on by default in the beta and Apple seems to want it to stay on. If you deactivate the setting, the system will warn you that unknown devices can see your location without notifying you, Apple blogger Benjamin Mayo shared on Twitter.

Tackling the risk of stalking in Find My is a major novelty due to Apple’s plans to open the app to third-party accessories. It’s hard to hide an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook in someone’s bag to track it, but a small, keychain-sized device like Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag or the upcoming ultra-broadband tracker Tile’s (UWB) could be a lot easier. Apple’s purported AirTags could also be a candidate for misuse, and the reintroduction of this feature in iOS could mean they’re about to be released.

Picture: 9to5Mac

While not necessarily as powerful as a GPS beacon with cellular radio, Apple’s Find My Network can have more range than you might think. If an Apple device approaches one of these supported trackers, it can update its location, even if the tracker does not have its own internet connection. Tile’s “Community Search” function works the same way. AirTags could theoretically extend range and accuracy even further, with a UWB signal added in the tag that can make it easier to find objects behind walls and in other rooms.

There are at least a few examples of gadget abuse like this: In 2018, a woman in Texas noticed her ex-partner kept showing up at restaurants, other people’s homes, and even on of a trip out of town, with no way of knowing where she was, ABC 13 reported. She later learned that her ex had hidden a Tile tracker in the front console of her car and was using it to find her. A Texas beauty queen shared a similar harassment story in 2016.