Google’s Find My Device (FMD) network was originally scheduled to launch in the summer of 2023, but was delayed until Apple implemented unknown tracker alerts. An upcoming iOS 17.5 update will add that support.
Apple today released iOS 17.5 Beta 1. 9to5 mac We discovered a string that details how the iPhone can detect third-party trackers. Once detected, iOS displays instructions to the user on how to disable them.
For example: “This item is not certified on the Apple Find My network. You can disable this item to not share your location with its owner. To do this, click the manufacturer of this item. Please follow the instructions provided on the website.
As of today’s release, this feature is not yet enabled and there is no UI for users. It could be rolled out in a future beta and eventually be ready when iOS 17.5 becomes stable.
Looking at past schedules, iOS 17.5 could be released in May. If this update is widely adopted, Google’s FMD network will be unimpeded.
Google is waiting “until Apple implements protections for iOS” to prevent FMD devices from being used to track iPhone owners without warning. This delayed the original summer 2023 launch of the network, which leverages more than 1 billion Android users to regularly check nearby devices and crowdsource the location of lost devices. The new Find My Device network can “find devices that are offline or do not have location capabilities.”
Some tracker tags for Chipolo and Pebblebee have been postponed as a result of Google’s safety stance, while also preventing it from adding these features to phones and earbuds like Pixel Buds.
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