Apple's iOS 15 Find My upgrade could make it easier to recover stolen devices
Locating a stolen phone, even if it was wiped, may get a bit easier when iOS 15 arrives in the fall.
This is how Find My looks as it tracks your Items.
Apple announced plenty of improvements in iPhone software at its WWDC event on Monday, from FaceTime and iMessage upgrades to new Maps and Wallet changes. These are just a few of the updates, with more having come to light after Apple posted its iOS 15 preview page.
As spotted by Engadget Tuesday, the iPhone-maker is adding some new functionality to its device-tracking feature Find My, to help make it harder for thieves to make off with your gadgets. Among them are "locate when powered off" and "locate after erase."
Apple says that the former can help "locate a missing device that was low on battery power or that may have been turned off by a thief," while the latter "can locate your device even after it has been erased." It notes that to "help ensure that nobody is tricked into purchasing your device, the Hello screen will clearly show that your device is locked, locatable, and still yours."
The new features join other Find My improvements such as a new widget for the home screen and separation alerts if you leave a device like AirPods or an AirTag behind. Apple has also boosted the Find My capabilities of the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max to help make them easier to locate, so long as you're in Bluetooth range.
These improvements, as well as the rest of the iOS 15 upgrades, will arrive on iOS devices in the fall.