Apple should build ‘Find My’ into everything it makes

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Apple should build ‘Find My’ into everything it makes
We should be able to locate every type of Apple accessory with Find My.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

I’ve misplaced my AirPods case. It’s in my house … somewhere. Fortunately, I can use the Find My app to locate it, as though it were a lost AirPod or AirTag.

Ha, ha, ha! No, I can’t. AirPods cases don’t offer Find My support. Just as the feature is missing from far too many other Apple accessories.

This needs to change. Find My is amazing, but limited by not being on devices that need it.

Update: In autumn 2022, Apple built Find My support into AirPods Pro 2, a sign that the tracking system might be coming to more peripherals.

AirPods case, other accessories need Find My

When someone misplaces their iPhone, Mac, iPad or Apple Watch, they can use the Find My application on another device to locate it. Hundreds of millions of Apple computers around the globe create a wireless network searching for lost devices.

AirTag item trackers take advantage of this network, too. And when AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and AirPods 3 joined the list of devices that can be located with Find My, it seemed Apple had woken up to how amazing this feature is, and would make it universal.

Nope.

You can search for a lost AirPod but not the case. And that includes AirPods 3, which came out just a few months ago. Which is why I’m forced to look behind couches and under beds for the AirPods case I misplaced.

The Apple TV remote also cries out for Find My support. Sure, when it goes missing it’s usually stuffed down between the couch cushions, but not always.

I’m not the only person who sees the need for this. That’s why you can get an AirPods case cover with a slot for an AirTag. Plus, some third-party Apple TV remote cases also hold an AirTag.

But these are hardly an ideal solution. Find My should be integrated into all future versions of the iPods case and Apple TV remote.

And that’s just the start. Apple Pencil should have Find My. So should the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. And Apple’s Magic Keyboard for iPad. And just about any future accessories more sophisticated than a cable.

‘Find My’ helps justify the Apple tax

The advantages go beyond saving us from crawling around under desks looking for a lost Apple Pencil. Find My also can save you from leaving supported Apple devices behind in the first place.

These accessories are expensive — no one wants to replace a $99 Magic Mouse because they left it in a hotel room. If the Magic Mouse worked with Find My, you could be notified that you’re checking out without the pricey peripheral in time to easily retrieve it.

That’s already possible with your AirPods. Apple should make the feature universal.

Adding Find My to more devices would benefit Apple, too. Making the company’s accessories easy to locate would further differentiate them from rival products. Cupertino makes great peripherals, but they all cost much more than well-made alternatives. Integrated Find My would make the buying decision easier for many of us.

The final result would be happier users who confidently carry around Apple accessories wherever they need to because they trust Find My. That’s a win-win for everyone.

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