‘AirTags’ setup leaked, Find My app adding support for third-party trackers
With the release of the first iOS 14.3 developer beta on Thursday, an icon depicting Apple’s rumored “AirPods Studio” over-ear headphones were leaked, offering a glimpse at the upcoming wearable. Now, the setup process for “AirTags” has also been uncovered, with new details for the Find My app coming to light.
First spotted by MacRumors, who were behind the AirPods Studio icon discovery earlier in the week, the Find My app is gaining support for third-party item trackers, which could see services such as Tile allow its users to locate their items in the Find My app in the future.
The Find My app currently acts as a hub to locate a user’s Apple devices, as well as a place to view the location of friends and family members. The app is expected to be where a user will also be able to locate any valuables which have Apple AirTags attached to them when the accessories eventually launch.
New Pairing video in the Find My app in iOS 14.3 beta 1 with the codename Hawkeye hints at Apple Tags support and new Apple over ear headphones. pic.twitter.com/oVdCLQcaWc
— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) November 12, 2020
AirTags, Apple’s long-awaited item trackers that are said to attach to valuables such as wallets, backpacks, keys, and more, allowing users to track their belongings on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The devices are said to be “just a tad larger than a bottle cap,” with Apple set to offer a “keychain that has a little leather pouch on it that you can just slip your AirTag into,” which will be sold separately.
MacRumors have been able to extract a new pairing video, shown above, in the Find My app in iOS 14.3 betas with the codename Hawkeye. The report leaks several interesting strings of code:
- You are connecting to an item that is paired to someone else’s Apple ID
- This item has been moving with you for a while
- This item was seen nearby
- The owner of this item will be able to see its location
- Contact the manufacturer of this device to learn if Find My is supported
- Turn on precise location to more accurately locate the distance between you and your friends, devices, and items
The code suggests that AirTags will be linked to a user’s Apple ID, hinting at some sort of security mechanism preventing them from being used by another person if lost. Apple may also provide a way for users to scan a found AirTag to discover who it belongs to.
Image: Jon Prosser & @CConceptCreator