MacRumors

Apple today seeded the eighth betas of upcoming iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta updates coming one week after Apple released the seventh iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS 14.5 is the biggest update to iOS 14 to date, introducing several significant new features. First and foremost, Apple is making it easier to unlock an iPhone when you're wearing a face mask with a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature.

This opt-in option lets you use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication method to unlock an ‌iPhone‌ alongside Face ID. With this feature, you no longer have to enter a passcode or remove your mask to unlock your ‌iPhone‌. Both an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 14.5 and an Apple Watch are required to use this, and the Apple Watch cannot authenticate Apple Pay purchases, App Store purchases, or unlock third-party apps that use ‌Face ID‌.

The update also brings worldwide support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on ‌iPhone‌ 12 models, so if you use multiple lines, both can now connect at 5G speeds. Prior to now, Dual-SIM mode was limited to LTE networks.

With watchOS 7.4, iOS and iPadOS 14.5 include AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+, so Apple Fitness+ subscribers can start a workout on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPAd and then AirPlay it to a compatible smart TV or set-top box. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 supports audio and video, but it does not display on-screen workout metrics.

PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers are supported on the ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌iPad‌ with iOS 14.5, and code suggests that Apple is going to add joint account support for the Apple Card in the near future.

iOS 14.5 includes a Waze-like crowdsourcing feature for reporting accidents, hazards, and speed checks along a route in Maps when getting directions.

There's a new "Report" button available in the Apple Maps app that lets you tap to report an accident, hazard, or speed trap at your location in the ‌Apple Maps‌ app, which is a feature that mapping app Waze offers. This is available directly on the ‌iPhone‌ and in CarPlay.

There are several new emoji characters in the iOS 14.5 beta, with Apple introducing heart on fire, mending heart, exhaling face, face with spiral eyes, face in clouds, along with different gender options for people with beards. There are also new couple emojis that have new skin tone mixes.

Apple removed the blood from the syringe emoji, updated the Headphone emoji to look like the AirPods Max rather than a generic set of headphones, and added a helmet to the rock climbing emoji.

In the Find My app, there's a new "Items" tab that's been added, which will work with non-Apple products like Beats headphones and Belkin's wireless earbuds that have been designed to integrate with the ‌Find My‌ app. Anything item tracking function that uses Apple's ‌Find My‌ API will be shown here right alongside your Apple devices, and the Items tab will also work with AirTags when those are finally released.

The iOS 14.5 beta addresses the green tint issue that some ‌iPhone‌ owners have been experiencing, with Apple confirming that the beta has "optimizations" to help with the issue.

"iOS and iPadOS 14.5 beta 2 includes an optimization to reduce the appearance of a dim glow that might appear at reduced brightness levels with black backgrounds," reads Apple's iOS 14.5 beta notes. For some users, there are improvements thanks to the optimizations, but for others, the issue still appears to exist, so Apple may have some further work to do.

iOS 14.5 also includes a new process for recalibrating the battery health reporting in the ‌iPhone‌ 11, 11 Pro, and Pro Max. Apple says that the update recalibrates the maximum battery capacity and peak performance capacity on the ‌‌iPhone‌ 11‌ models to address inaccurate estimates of battery health reporting that some users have encountered.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 add a new feature for choosing a preferred streaming music service to use with Siri. So if you prefer Spotify over Apple Music, for example, you can now choose Spotify as the app you want to use with ‌Siri‌ and all ‌Siri‌ song requests will go through Spotify without the need to add "on Spotify" to the end of ‌Siri‌ requests. This is a new ‌Siri‌ intelligence feature that works with music apps, podcast apps, and audiobook apps.

There are two new ‌Siri‌ voices in iOS 14.5, and ‌Siri‌ is no longer female by default in the United States, with users instead able to select their preferred Siri voice at setup.

iOS 14.5 is the update where Apple will begin requiring developers to comply with its App Tracking Transparency rules. Going forward, developers will need to ask for and receive your permission to access your random advertising identifier and track your activity across apps and websites.

Apple has made design tweaks to the Apple News and Podcasts apps, plus there are new print and sort options in Reminders. There are new settings for emergency alerts, a horizontal loading screen on the ‌iPad‌, and tons of other smaller feature tweaks that are outlined in our full iOS 14.5 features guide, which we've been keeping updated throughout the testing process. iOS 14.5 could perhaps see a release on Tuesday, April 20, which is when Apple plans to hold its first event of 2021, though we may just get a release date for the update at the event.

Apple today announced that it will be hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, April 20 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and one of the new products expected to be unveiled at the event is a new iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display.

In a brief snippet shared with paid subscribers, Taiwanese supply chain news website DigiTimes today reported that Apple supplier Ennostar has substantially improved its yield rates for Mini-LED chips and is expected to scale up its output for the new iPad Pro starting later this month. This lines up with a timeframe shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed that the new iPad Pro would enter mass production in mid-to-late April.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu recently reported that Apple plans to introduce new iPad Pro models in the latter half of April, which lines up with the now-confirmed April 20 event. The report said Mini-LED backlighting will be exclusive to the new 12.9-inch model, while both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models are expected to get a faster A14X chip on par with the M1 chip in Macs and Thunderbolt support. Early rumors also suggested that cellular models will gain support for faster 5G networking like iPhone 12 models.

Gurman and Wu said that due to poor manufacturing yields, the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro could ship later and be available in constrained quantities to begin with, unless suppliers like Ennostar have managed to quickly improve production.

In a follow-up report today, Gurman said that Apple is also working on its long-awaited AirTags item trackers and a redesigned iMac, but it is less certain if those products will be announced at the April 20 event. A new Apple TV with a faster chip, redesigned remote, and a stronger gaming focus is also rumored to be in the pipeline.

On the software side, Apple has been beta testing iOS 14.5 for over two months now, and a final release around the April 20 event is likely. The software update has a long list of new features, including the much-awaited ability for Apple Watch users to unlock their iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask.

Apple's first 2021 event, "Spring Loaded," is set to take place on Tuesday, April 20. Apple has designed a special multi-colored logo for the occasion, and if you visit the Events website on an iPhone or iPad, you can see an augmented reality version.

Just tap on the colorful Apple logo on the page to open Apple's AR viewer, where you can scan the room and see the shifting logo in action. You can also view it in "Object" mode to see how it moves, with the Apple portion and the leaf swirling away from one another.

Apple often creates interesting graphics for its events and has used the morphing augmented reality logo in the past.

Apple's "Spring Loaded" event will be digital only and will be livestreamed in the Apple TV app and on the events page, but those who cannot attend can tune in to MacRumors on the site or through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

The event is expected to see the launch of new iPad Pro models, a new iPad mini, and perhaps the AirTags that have long been in the works. Apple could also surprise us with new Macs, though those may be slated for launch later in the year.

Following an overnight leak by Siri, Apple today officially announced that it will be holding a special "Spring Loaded" event on Tuesday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

As with all of Apple's 2020 events, the April 2021 event will be a digital-only gathering with no members of the media invited to attend in person due to the ongoing public health crisis.

Apple's April event will see Apple showing off the first new products of 2021, and there's quite a lot on the horizon. Updated iPad Pro models, a new low-cost iPad, a new iPad mini, refreshed iMacs, and the long-awaited AirTags are all products that Apple could potentially introduce.

Given that we're waiting on so many ‌iPad‌ refreshes, iPads could be the focus of the April event. Apple is rumored to be working on a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro that will feature a mini-LED display and a 5G chip, and there's an 11-inch model coming too. These iPads are expected to feature Thunderbolt connectivity, camera improvements, and a new A14X chip that's as fast as the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

A sketchy rumor said Apple will debut an "‌iPad mini‌ Pro" with an 8.7-inch full-screen display and no Touch ID Home button. There have also been rumors of an ‌iPad mini‌ with a mini-LED display, but it's not clear just what ‌iPad mini‌ upgrades we'll get, as recent dummy model photos have suggested there could be few obvious differences from the current model. We could also see a new low-cost iPad with a 10.2-inch display and a thinner build that's similar to the now-discontinued iPad Air 3.

As for the AirPods 3, Apple is working on a new version that looks similar to the AirPods Pro with silicone ear tips and shorter stems, but without the high-end Active Noise Cancellation functionality. There were rumors that AirPods 3 would be coming at the spring event, but we're no longer expecting them until the fall.

Apple is designing a revamped iMac with a new design that features thinner bezels that are similar to the bezels on the Pro Display XDR, plus it will have an Apple silicon chip and an Apple-designed GPU, making it a highly-anticipated machine. We don't know when new iMacs are coming, but an April event is a possibility.

We're still waiting on AirTags, which are Apple's Tile-like Bluetooth tracking tags that will be able to be attached to any item, allowing that item to be tracked right in the Find My app alongside Apple devices. Apple just last week expanded its ‌Find My‌ network to include third-party devices such as an upcoming item tracker from Chipolo, so next week's event could finally see the AirTags unveiled as Apple's similar product offering.

There's also a sixth-generation Apple TV in the works with an upgraded processor and a new ‌Apple TV‌ remote with ‌Find My‌ integration, but it's not clear if the ‌Apple TV‌ will be coming at the April event.

Apple plans to stream the‌ event live on its website and in the ‌Apple TV‌ app when it kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 20. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Spotify has today announced its first hardware device, the "Car Thing," which is an in-car dash-mounted music and podcast player (via TechCrunch).

Spotify is looking to provide a product for customers who want a "more seamless" and personalized in-car listening experience, especially in the large number of cars that do not support modern in-car infotainment systems.

The Car Thing is aimed at Spotify Premium subscribers with these needs and features a touchscreen, a knob for navigation, voice control features, and four user-configurable buttons for fast access to areas such as favorite music, podcasts, or playlists.

The user interface takes cues from the Spotify mobile app so that it is familiar to users, and there is the choice of touch controls, "Hey Spotify" voice commands, or physical navigation via the knob. The Car Thing works over Bluetooth, or via an AUX or USB cable, and there are a variety of mounts that come with the device to ensure that it fits to the dashboard correctly.

The device comes with three different types of dash and vent mounts to choose from, a car charger, and a USB-C cable.

Initially, the Car Thing will be made available for free for a limited period, with selected users only needing to pay for the cost of shipping. This is apparently because Spotify still sees the Car Thing as somewhat experimental.

When it reaches its full public release, the Car Thing will be available for $79.99, but it is as yet unclear when the retail release will take place.

Car Thing is now being offered on an invite-only basis via its website to U.S. Spotify Premium subscribers with a smartphone, where interested users can sign up to the waiting list.

Diogo Rau, who has served as Apple's head of engineering for retail and the online Apple store, will leave the company following 10 years of service to join Lilly as its senior VP and chief information and digital officer.

Rau announced his departure from Apple on Linkedin, saying that it has been a privilege to work with his colleagues at Apple and that the company has "set the standard for the retail industry."

Rau joined Apple in April of 2011, and during his tenure, he witnessed and helped the company expand its retail locations and presence around the world. Throughout the years, Apple Stores have taken on a life of their own, serving as a community hub rather than simply a place to purchase products.

Rau also spearheaded Apple's efforts in the digital space, helping to grow its e-commerce platforms, the Apple Store app, and the roll-out of product launches at retail locations. Rau will begin his new role at Lilly on May 17.

Roku today introduced a new Express 4K+ streaming player and rechargeable Voice Remote Pro with some useful features for Apple users.

Priced at $39.99 in the United States, the new Roku Express 4K+ provides 4K streaming at an affordable price. The streaming player supports AirPlay 2 for wirelessly streaming audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, while HomeKit support allows users to control the streaming player with Siri or the Home app on their Apple devices.

Meanwhile, Roku's new Voice Remote Pro features an Apple TV+ button for easy access to the Apple TV app, as noted by The Verge. Priced at $29.99, the remote also features a rechargeable battery via micro-USB, hands-free or push-to-talk "Hey Roku" voice control, a lost remote finder feature, and a headphone jack.

Roku has also added the Apple TV+ button to its new standard remotes, alongside Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ buttons.

With its new Roku OS 10 software release that is now rolling out, Roku is also expanding AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to select HD Roku streaming players and TVs. These features were limited to Roku's 4K devices until now.

Adobe has today released a major update for Premiere Rush, adding full support for the M1 chip, alongside a range of small updates to Premiere Rush and Premiere Pro.

Premiere Rush is Adobe's video editing app designed for easy creativity on the go. The update to Premiere Rush brings enhanced speed and optimization on desktops using the ‌M1‌ chip, such as the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, so users can work faster and get more done.

Premiere Rush is also gaining a new timeline Context Menu. Users can now tap a video clip on the timeline to bring up the context menu on iOS to split, duplicate, or delete a clip. In addition, users can tap a video clip with audio to separate the audio clip from the video.

There are also changes to reset functionality, allowing users to reset all adjustments for Color, Audio, and Transforms.

On the other hand, Premiere Pro is gaining Dynamic Lumetri Previews. Lumetri presets now display a frame from your current sequence and thumbnails for Lumetri presets in the Effects panel dynamically update, providing a preview of the preset.

Indian tech blog MySmartPrice has obtained 3D renders of what it claims will be the standard iPhone 13 model, revealing a familiar design with a few notable changes, including a smaller notch and a new diagonal rear camera layout. The website says it received the renders from unnamed "industry sources."

A smaller notch has already been rumored several times for the entire iPhone 13 lineup, but this is the first time we've heard that the rear cameras may be positioned diagonally on the standard iPhone 13 with a 6.1-inch display. By comparison, the dual Wide and Ultra Wide lenses on the standard iPhone 12 model are vertically stacked.

It's unclear why the rear cameras might be positioned diagonally on the iPhone 13, or if the design will extend to the iPhone 13 mini, but there are several camera-related changes rumored for iPhone 13 models that would perhaps necessitate the change. In January, for example, supply chain news website DigiTimes reported that sensor-shift optical image stabilization would be extended to the entire iPhone 13 lineup.

MySmartPrice does not have an established track record as it relates to renders for upcoming Apple products, so this leak should be treated with some skepticism until it is backed by other sources. Apple is currently expected to unveil the iPhone 13 lineup in September, so we're still several months away from the devices becoming official.

Apple is "very near" to signing an agreement with LG and Magna to build its long-rumored electric vehicle, according to The Korea Times.

LG Electronics has publicly undertaken a joint venture with the Canada-based automotive supplier Magna International, in a collaboration preliminarily titled "LG Magna e-Powertrain."

LG Magna e-Powertrain is currently valued at $1 billion and will manufacture electric motors, inverters and onboard chargers, following approval from LG shareholders. LG has previously supplied motors, battery packs, and other components for General Motors' Bolt EV and to Tesla, while Magna already produces automotive electronics.

Sources familiar with the matter, speaking to The Korea Times, said "LG Magna e-Powertrain is very near to signing contracts with Apple under which they could handle the initial volume production of Apple EVs. Contract details are still being discussed."

Although the joint venture lacks the production volume to manufacture a vehicle on a mass-scale comparable to other major automakers, Apple is apparently comfortable with LG Magna e-Powertrain's smaller capacity, from which it may be inferred that the company does not intend to produce the vehicle on the same large scale as other major automakers.

Apple's first-generation of electric vehicles is reportedly seen as an opportunity to evaluate the project's marketability, rather than a true mass-market vehicle, rendering it a more niche brand within the industry, at least initially. This is seemingly supported by Apple's ease with LG Magna e-Powertrain's smaller manufacturing capacity.

LG is already heavily integrated into Apple's supply chain for crucial products such as the iPhone, so the two companies are already very familiar with working with each other for production purposes and have an intertwined supply operation.

Because LG Group affiliates including LG Display, LG Chem, LG Energy Solution and LG Innotek are already included in Apple's parts supply chain, Apple doesn't have to worry about any supply chain issues. These LG affiliates are qualified to guarantee production yields and faster delivery of parts needed for Apple EVs.

Following LG's decision to shut down its unprofitable smartphone business, the company is said to be urgently responding to investors' growing calls to produce results from its vehicle components business. LG's exit from the smartphone industry is expected to boost its margins and it could re-invest the salvaged funds into its vehicle component businesses.

As the LG brand is not that strong in the global EV industry, it needs a pretty competitive reference to show off its transformation efforts. From that standpoint, LG's bet on the Apple EV is not that bad, and vice versa for Apple.

The monetary value of the partnership would purportedly not be significant for LG, but would rather yield benefits in establishing the reputation of LG Magna e-Powertrain as a contract auto manufacturer and vindicating the formation of LG Magna e-Powertrain.

Magna is based in Canada, but has previously said that it would be able to manufacture vehicles at a facility in the United States if contracted to do so, which may be a provision Apple is looking to include in its proposed agreement.

If the agreement is reached, the two parties will then jointly establish the precise details for the production of the Apple car, and a prototype will apparently be teased in early 2024.

Magna has been floated as a potential contractor for Apple's vehicle in the past, but this appears to be the most well-reasoned rumor surrounding a contract manufacturer for the project to date.

Regulators in Germany are seeking to bar Facebook from collecting user data from its subsidiary, WhatsApp (via Bloomberg).

The Hamburg regulator is looking to achieve an "immediately enforceable order" against Facebook by May 15, due to concerns that WhatsApp's privacy policy changes could lead to the unlawful use of user data for marketing and advertising purposes. Data Commissioner Johannes Caspar said in a statement earlier today:

WhatsApp is now used by almost 60 million people in Germany and is by far the most widely used social media application, even ahead of Facebook. It is therefore all the more important to ensure that the high number of users, which makes the service attractive to many people, does not lead to an abusive exploitation of data power.

The privacy policy changes suggested at the time that WhatsApp would share additional data with Facebook such as phone number, service-related information, IP address, and transaction data, but WhatsApp has since made it clear that the update does not affect data sharing with Facebook in terms of user chats or profile information, with the new terms instead applying to those who use the business chat feature.

WhatsApp delayed the introduction of its new privacy policy earlier this year after confusion and user backlash forced the company to assure users of its commitment to privacy. Nevertheless, the relationship between Facebook and WhatsApp is set to come under greater scrutiny in Germany as a result of the request for an enforceable order.

Up to now there has been no supervisory review of the actual processing operations between WhatsApp and Facebook that we are aware of. There is reason to believe that the provisions that will enable and expand the sharing of data between WhatsApp and Facebook will be unlawfully enforced due to the lack of voluntary and informed consent.

Facebook said in a statement that it is reviewing the information it has received from the Hamburg regulator and "will address their misunderstandings around the purpose and effect of the update." The company added that it remains "committed to delivering secure and private communications for everyone.

To be clear, by accepting WhatsApp's updated terms of service, users are not agreeing to any expansion in our ability to share data with Facebook, and the update does not impact the privacy of their messages with friends or family wherever they are in the world.

WhatsApp has in fact shared some user information with Facebook since 2016, such as phone number, but chat messages and phone calls remain private and protected with end-to-end encryption.

The formal case has been opened "to prevent unlawful mass data sharing, if necessary, and to put an end to unlawful consent pressure on millions of people." Facebook get will the opportunity to respond to the allegations at a hearing before mid-May.

A new image posted on Twitter this morning allegedly shows Apple's as-yet unreleased spring color options for iPhone 12 cases, offering a better look at the company's upcoming protective silicone cases.

Based on the images, Apple plans to release four new color options in its ‌iPhone‌ 12 case range. Official names for the colorways are still unknown, but based on the photo they approximate dark purple, light blue, light green, and orange.

The source of the photo doesn't have a track record for Apple leaks, so it's not possible to know for certain that the cases shown are genuine or just fakes based on previous leaks, but they at least give us a better idea at what the cases could look like.

In 2020, Apple released matching ‌iPhone‌ 11 and Apple Watch bands for its spring collection. The company typically releases new spring accessories around the end of March or early April, and with Siri's revelation this morning of an Apple event on April 20, we could well see them in the next couple of weeks.

Update: The source of the image, Tommy Boi, has tweeted the above picture revealing the alleged names of Apple's spring color collection of ‌iPhone‌ 12 cases. They are: Cantaloupe, Amethyst, Pistachio, and Capri Blue. The same Twitter account has posted an image indicating that they will launch in April.

Update: Another photo of the alleged "Amethyst" color has surfaced.

Siri has apparently prematurely revealed that Apple plans to hold an event on Tuesday, April 20, where the company is expected to reveal brand new iPad Pro models and possibly its long-awaited AirTags trackers.

Upon being asked "When is the next Apple Event," ‌Siri‌ is currently responding with, "The special event is on Tuesday, April 20, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all the details on Apple.com." The event will likely be a pre-recorded affair without media in attendance and should be live-streamed on Apple's website and YouTube channel.

‌Siri‌ is not providing the information in all instances and will in some cases simply refer you to Apple's website for information on events, but multiple MacRumors editors and readers have seen the premature information across Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and HomePod.

Apple typically sends out press invitations for its digital events around a week before the actual event, so it seems likely that Apple will confirm the event later today. Bloomberg has reported that Apple plans to showcase a brand new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with new mini-LED display technology in the middle of this month.

Update: Apple has now officially announced the April 20 event.

Apple launched the Find My network accessory program designed for third-party accessory makers in April 2021, allowing device makers to integrate ‌Find My‌ right into their products.

With the ‌Find My‌ network accessory program, third-party accessory makers can add ‌Find My‌ integration to their devices, allowing products to be tracked in the ‌Find My‌ app right alongside Apple devices and AirTags.

This guide covers everything that you need to know about the accessory program, from how it works to which devices offer ‌Find My‌ integration.

How Tracking Third-Party Accessories Works

Accessory makers that join Apple's Made for iPhone program and participate in the ‌Find My‌ network accessory program can add ‌Find My‌ integration into any Bluetooth device.

That means that a Bluetooth or WiFi device with ‌Find My‌ compatibility can be tracked right in the ‌Find My‌ app alongside your Apple products. In iOS 14.3 or later, there's an "Items" tab available in ‌Find My‌, which is where all third-party accessories can be located.

‌Find My‌ for third-party accessories works just like ‌Find My‌ for any of your Apple devices, with your accessories shown on a map. Third-party ‌Find My‌ accessories can take advantage of all of Apple's ‌Find My‌ functionality.

So if a Bluetooth-equipped device is nearby, it will show up in the ‌Find My‌ app, but if it's out of range, the map will show the last known location. If you lose an item and someone else with an ‌iPhone‌, iPad, or Mac comes close to it, it can communicate with their device with the approximate location of the item relayed securely and privately back to you.

Setting Up Third-Party Find My Devices

The ‌Find My‌ app is the one-stop shop for adding, controlling, and locating any Find My-compatible accessory, as third-party accessories designed to work with ‌Find My‌ can't support other apps or item location networks.

There's an "Items" tab in the ‌Find My‌ app on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac, and to add an item, you just tap on the "Add Item" option. You will need to follow the instructions from the device maker to put your ‌Find My‌ accessory into a pairing mode, and that will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

With VanMoof bikes, for example, you need to double press on the power button of the bike to put it into pairing mode to connect it to the ‌Find My‌ app.

You can give all of your items custom names and assign an emoji to them so you can identify each one at a glance on the ‌Find My‌ map. Adding an item to ‌Find My‌ does require your Apple ID, as it links that item to your ID.

Locating Lost Third-Party Devices With Find My

If you open up the ‌Find My‌ app and navigate to the Items tab, you can see all of your Find My-compatible accessories on a map. You'll see current location if the accessory is able to communicate with your ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac over Bluetooth, or the last known location if it is too far away. It will also tell you the last time that your device communicated with the accessory.

You can play sounds on ‌Find My‌ accessories, and if lost, place them into a Lost Mode. Putting a device into Lost Mode allows you to lock it down to prevent it from being paired with another Apple device, and it adds a phone number and message in case anyone comes across your lost item.

If someone who has an ‌iPad‌, ‌iPhone‌, or Mac comes across your lost ‌Find My‌ accessory, they can use the ‌Find My‌ app to see your message and get in touch. You'll also get a notification when it's located through another person's device, and its location will show up on the map.

The ‌Find My‌ network that allows lost devices to be found through crowdsourcing is anonymous and encrypted, so while you will get info on where your lost item might be, you won't see who discovered it unless they contact you after you've provided a message and a phone number.

Putting an Item Into Lost Mode

You can put a lost item into Lost Mode by tapping on its name in ‌Find My‌ and then tapping "Enable" under Lost Mode. Apple prompts you to input a phone number where you can be reached, and you can also choose to get a notification when updated location information becomes available.

Lost Mode can be disabled by toggling off "Enabled" under the Lost Mode option.

Preventing Theft

‌Find My‌ items are linked to your ‌Apple ID‌ much like iPhones, iPads, and Macs. If someone steals an accessory with ‌Find My‌ built in, that person will not be able to link the item to their own ‌Apple ID‌ account.

Getting Directions to a Lost Item

Tapping on any of your third-party accessories in the ‌Find My‌ app will show its last location. If it's not close by, you can tap on "Directions" to open its location in the Apple Maps app to get directions from your current location to the location of your item.

Separation Alerts

Apple in iOS 15 added Separation Alerts to the ‌Find My‌ app, which are designed to let you know if you leave an Apple device, a device attached to an AirTag, or a Find My-enabled third-party device behind.

You can set up Separation Alerts in the ‌Find My‌ app, so if you want to make sure your ‌iPhone‌ is always with you or that you don't leave the house without the keys, this is the feature to use.

• iOS 15: How to Get Notified If You Leave an AirTag or Apple Device Behind

Updating Items

Third-party accessories that connect to ‌Find My‌ can get firmware updates. To install an update, tap on the item's name in the ‌Find My‌ app and then tap on "Update Available." If no Update Available button is listed, then the item is up to date.

Check an Item's Serial Number

Tapping on an item in the ‌Find My‌ app and then tapping on "Show Details" will let you see information like serial number or model number, and it will let you know if the manufacturer has an app available for you to download to add additional features to the item.

How to Identify Someone's Lost Item

If you come across a lost item and you know that it has ‌Find My‌ integration, you can open up the ‌Find My‌ app and tap on the "Identify Found Item" option to see if the person who has lost it has left a message and a contact number so you can get in touch with them.

Scanning for lost items using the ‌Find My‌ app will take you to a website to see a Lost Mode message.

Unknown Item Safety Alerts

If Apple detects a ‌Find My‌ accessory that is on your person or moving with you, it will send you a safety alert. This is so you can make sure no one has planted a tracking device on you.

If you get one of these alerts, you can tap into it to see the unknown item on a map or play a sound. You can also tap "Learn More About This Item" to get details, such as serial number, and there is an option to disable the item so that it stops sharing your location. Tap on "Instructions" and then tap "Disable Item" to do this.

Note that if you have an item belonging to another person and disable location alerts, the item will not be usable to you because it is already linked to an ‌Apple ID‌.

There are instances where safety alerts can be inconvenient, such as if a family member nearby has a ‌Find My‌ item that your device is picking up. In this situation, you can turn off safety alerts for people in your Family Sharing group or tap on "Pause Safety Alerts" to mute them for the day.

Safety alerts can be turned off entirely as well if you're getting an annoying number of notifications. Under the "Me" tab, go to Notifications and then toggle off Item Safety Alerts. This needs to be done on a per-device basis.

Removing an Item From Find My

If you want to sell or give away a ‌Find My‌ accessory, you need to remove it from ‌Find My‌. Bring it near your device, tap "Remove Item," and follow the instructions.

You can also remove an item from your account if it's not nearby, but it will still be locked and won't be able to be added to anyone's account because of its link to your ‌Apple ID‌.

Third-Party Accessories That Support Find My

There are a limited number of ‌Find My‌ accessories available at the current time, but Apple expects more manufacturers to add ‌Find My‌ support in the future.

• Belkin SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds
• VanMoof S3 & X3 E-Bikes
• Chipolo ONE Spot Item Tracker
• Targus Backpack
• Chipolo CARD Spot Wallet

Compatibility Requirements

Adding a compatible third-party accessory to the ‌Find My‌ app requires iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, or macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later.

AirTags

Apple in April 2021 introduced AirTags, which are small, circular, Bluetooth-enabled item trackers designed to be attached to items like keys and wallets to allow them to be tracked right alongside Apple devices and ‌Find My‌ Network accessories in the ‌Find My‌ app.

For everything you need to know about AirTags and how they work, we have a dedicated AirTags guide.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission today called on Americans to test their internet speeds with the FCC Speed Test app to further its research into broadband availability through the Measuring Broadband America Program.

The FCC says that the data collected on broadband network performance across the United States will help its efforts to provide improved coverage information to the public.

"To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability. Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will enable us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we're developing to show where broadband is truly available throughout the United States," said Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel.

The app, which is available on iPhone and iPad, allows consumers to measure the speeds of their mobile and in-home broadband networks. It evaluates download and upload speed, latency, jitter, and packet loss, and it tracks speed data over time.

In addition to providing the FCC with granular broadband deployment data, in the future, it will be used to challenge provider-submitted maps when Broadband Data Collection Systems become available.