If you lose your Apple device or an AirTag tagged item, you can use a network of hundreds of millions of Bluetooth enabled Apple devices to retrieve it. Is named “Find my network” and this is how it works.
What is Find My Network?
Apple's Find My network is a collaborative method to locate your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, AirPods, Apple Watch the Lost Mac. You can also use it to locate lost items that have AirTags attached.. It is enabled as a free service for Apple device owners.
The Find My network uses Bluetooth sensors in hundreds of millions of Apple products to report the location of lost Apple devices around it.. When an Apple device on the network detects a nearby Apple device, reports the approximate location of the lost item to the device owner over the internet.
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Are there any privacy issues with Find My Network?
You might think that with a network of nearly a billion Apple devices reporting the location of lost posts, there may be some privacy issues with the Find My network. Despite this, Apple took privacy into account when designing this network.
Apple has worked to avoid privacy issues wherever feasible, designing a system that uses end-to-end encryption while transmitting anonymous data to keep your device's location known only to you while keeping your identity and location private when using a device that is active on the Find My network. According to Apple, neither he nor third parties can access the location of their devices on the Find My network. Only the person searching for the lost device can see the location of the post.
Apple AirTags pose a major privacy risk, But Apple took steps to make it harder for people to use AirTags to track people without their knowledge.. Time will tell if those measures are enough.
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How do I use Find My Network?
So you can use the Find My network, and this is how it works “Find My” (and be part of the Find My network), and also be registered with your Apple ID. To locate the item, open the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch o Mac. Choose the devices tab, tap on the device name and you will see its location on a map. If you can't see it, you can mark it as lost and hope someone finds it later and returns it to you.
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Can I opt out of Find My Network?
Even though the Find My network is not a privacy barrier for most people (unless you are working in a sensitive and high security field, we suggest you keep it enabled), you can still disable it (and choose not to participate) if you would be interested.
To do it on an iPhone, iPad o iPod Touch, open Settings and navigate to Apple ID> Find my> Find my iPhone / iPad / and this is how it works “Find my network”.
To exclude yourself from Find my network on a Mac, open System Preferences and go to Apple ID> iCloud, and then click the button “Choices” next to “Find my Mac”. In the pop-up window, Click the button “Delete” next to “Find my network”.
Note that if you turn off the Find My network, Not only will your device's Bluetooth sensors stop helping others locate lost devices, but you will not be able to take advantage of its benefits if you lose your device. Stay safe out there!
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