Find My from Apple lets you know if you are being tracked
Apple's Find My app may get a new security feature to help prevent someone from using the app's tracked devices to track you down.
The Item Security Alerts feature, which was spotted in the beta version of iOS 14.5, notifies you if an unknown device being tracked via Find My is moving with you so you can remove or disable it.
This feature appears to be designed for a scenario where a Find My compatible device is hidden in a pocket or bag and then used to track someone's movements.
The Item Safety Alerts setting was found in early versions of iOS 14.3 but was removed until its reappearance in iOS 14.5.
The setting is enabled by default in the beta, and it looks like Apple wants it to stay on.
And if you turn off the setting, the system warns you that unknown devices can see your location without alerting you.
Addressing stalking risks in Find My is important recently due to Apple's plans to open the app to third-party extensions.
It's hard to hide an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook in someone's bag for tracking, but it might be a lot easier to use a small, keychain-sized device, like Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag or Tile's upcoming UWB tracker.
Apple's AirTags product could also be subject to abuse, and the reintroduction of this feature in iOS could mean that the product is on its way to release.
While not necessarily as powerful as a GPS beacon, Apple's Find My network may have more range than you think.
And if an Apple device approaches one of these supported trackers, it can update its location, even if the tracker does not have its own internet connection.
And the AirTags product could theoretically extend reach and accuracy even further, as the added UWB signal could make it easier to find items behind walls and in other rooms.