Apple is launching a new Find My feature in iOS 15 that will make ping users if they leave behind an Apple device or third-party tracking accessory on accident. Separation Alerts will ping users if they leave the vicinity of a device like an AirTag or third-party devices that support Apple’s Find My network.
New Separation Alerts in iOS 15 will inform you if you leave an AirTag or Apple-compatible device behind
After enabling Separation Alerts, users will be notified if they leave a device, AirTag, or compatible third-party item behind. Their iPhone will alert them with pings and the native iOS Find My app will give users directions to the item.
Separation Alerts notify a user if they leave an AirTag, Apple device, or Find My network accessory behind in an unfamiliar location, and the Find My network now supports AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. A new Find My widget offers an at-a-glance view directly from the Home Screen.
Separation Alerts have to be enabled per device. Users can go to the menu of a certain item and toggle the “Notify When Left Behind.” on. Users will then be alerted when they are out of range of the device. However, they will also be able to set location-based limitations so they are not pinged if the device is left at home.
In related news, your Apple device will be a lot easier to find if it is lost or stolen with iOS 15. Even if someone erases the device, as long as Activation Lock is enabled, the device will still feature your information on the Hello screen to alert people that this device is trackable by its real owner.
Read more:
- Â AirPods features with iOS 15: conversation boost, ambient noise reduction, Announce notification and more
- Messages in iOS 15: Shared with You, better integration with other Apple apps and more
- FaceTime in iOS 15: Spatial Audio, SharePlay, cross platform calls and more
- Apple announces iCloud+ with major privacy updates including Mail Privacy Protection, Private Relay and more
- Apple introduces major updates to Health app including Health Sharing, Blood Glucose highlights, fall risk notification and more
- WWDC 21 HomeKit announcements: home keys, SharePlay, third-party support for Siri and, new Matter interoperability standard
Great article. I am fascinated by the ability to track my Apple devices. My phone alerts me when I am out of range of my AirPods and I am able to track my luggage when I travel. Even though trackers are getting some bad press due to stalkers and vehicle thieves, they do serve a very good purpose. One can only hope that Apple figures out the security issues soon. But even with these tracking capabilities, they are dependent on not losing the phone. Recently, a new generation of phone reminder devices (PRDs with no app required / no-tracking) are now being sold that work complimentary with the Apple products, reminding you that you have left your phone behind. (After
all, you need your phone to operate the tracking app.) The PRDs are short range adjustable alert distance reminders (not finders) that are extremely reliable. After a few months, I have found them (mine is the
Prox PRD) to work extremely well (zero false alerts) and compliment the AirTags capabilities. Let’s see what the future holds for all this great new technology.