On April 7, 2021, Apple opened an app Find My Or, its location for third-party products via a new program that allows non-affiliated devices to take advantage of the Find My network. This allows users to track any compatible external devices using the Find My app. But before you can actually track devices and accessories that are not designed or manufactured by Apple, you must first add them to the Find My app, follow the article to find out how.
Apple opens the Find My network
Here's how the support document on Apple's website describes this job:
The new Find My “Objects” section allows you to track compatible third-party products and personal items using Find My, an encrypted and anonymous network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices. Devices in the Find My network use secure Bluetooth technology to discover lost items nearby and inform you of their approximate location, so you can find them.
The “Objects” section works with iOS 14.3, iPadOS 14.3, and macOS Big Sur 11.1 and later. Additionally, your Apple ID account must use two-factor authentication protection. Also, make sure to check that Bluetooth is turned on on your Apple devices and that the Location Services feature is enabled through Settings → Privacy → Location services.
Provided that your Apple device meets these system requirements, launch the Find My app and you will see the new “Objects” section. Thanks to a server-side change from Apple, no software update is required to make this section appear inside the Find My app.
What Non-Apple Products Work with Find My?
At the time of writing, the following products are compatible with the Find My app, and many additional products will definitely integrate with Find My in the future. Of compatible products
Belkin Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds.
VanMoof S3 and X3 electric scooters.
◉ Chipolo's One Spot Tracker.
To help customers identify third-party products that have been officially approved by Apple to work with Find My, the company has designed a “Other unsupported purposeWithin theAdd a new purpose".
You can read the product instructions to see if it is compatible with Find My. For example, the VanMoof S3 and X3 e-bikes have a “Find My Location with Apple Find My” sticker below the main window to clearly inform the owner that they support Find My.
How to add third-party products to Find My
Before you can track a non-Apple product using Find My, you must first add it to the “the stuffWithin the Find My app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.
◉ Start the process on your external device, following the manufacturer's instructions.
◉ Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on, the device is connected to your phone, and that it is in range, and open the Find My app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac device.
◉ Open the “Objects” section, then “Add an item”.
◉ Follow the on-screen instructions to name the extension and register it in your Apple ID.
That's it, you can now track your compatible third-party extension from within the Find My app just like you would with an Apple product.
Do non-Apple accessories support loss mode?
Non-Apple product tracking supports Find My features such as lost mode. For example, when you successfully add your gadget to the Find My app, you can track its location on the combined map.
If the device is nearby, you can play the sound to locate it. If you've misplaced or lost the product, you can also enable "lost mode" to be alerted via a notification as soon as it is found.
It's up to manufacturers to support the Find My feature, in other words, some third-party extensions that are compatible with Find My may not support lossy mode or remote audio playback.
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