The systems can’t read the location of the lost device or the finding device from within Find My.Īpple has crafted its solution around use of a rotating encryption key. Nor is it in the loop for the Find My function. One way this is really visible is in Photos, where those collections of Memories or suggested Edits are all created and developed by machine intelligence on your device. In common with Apple’s entire approach to data security, it continues to only seek out the bare minimum of personal data it needs to make its systems work. OK, but how come this is safe?Īpple says the system is designed so that even Apple doesn't learn the identity of the Lost device or the finding devices. This means any impact on both battery life and data use is very much reduced. The idea is that the additional battery demands of the process are mitigated by being rolled inside of tasks you are already doing. The location will also not be transmitted until you choose to use your device to transmit other data. The system has been developed to use as little energy as possible.ĭevices pick up the signal only when they would be looking for such a signal anyway, such as when a device wakes from sleep and reaches to connect to your Bluetooth headphones, keyboard or what not. These know their location can encrypt that location and broadcast it up to Apple.Īpple can't read this location, but the user who owns the device can log into the Find My App, download, decrypt that location and find their Mac. This key can be picked up by other devices that are physically nearby. The way this works is that the Mac will send out a periodic beacon, it's actually a rotating encryption key. This means that only the end user can ever actually use this system to find their computer, and only when they are in possession of the Apple ID. They will then be shown the location of their lost friends and devices on a Map. This key will unlock their Mac's location.

If a user who has lost a Mac logs into their Apple ID/Find My app they will send a cryptographic key to Apple. The devices that detect your Mac’s signal do not know you, your Mac, or either location, all they do is transmit a heavily encrypted signal back to Apple, letting them know a Mac exists nearby. The computer will continue to send low energy Bluetooth signals which can be picked up by any nearby Apple device.

How to use find my iphone with mac