Since the end of July 2023, Android phonessupport AirTags, following an initiative by Google. By reversing the roles, we realize that the opposite is however still not the case, namely, aiOS support for GPS tracking tags other than AirTags. However, we have just learned that this could happen this month, thanks to information collected by AppleInsider.
Why did it take so long?
The reason this support took so long is because Apple didn't want to allow third-party beacons to integrate with iOS in any way. The Apple company wanted to ensure that this had no negative impact on the security of iOS. For that,she partnered with Google, with the aim of developingan interoperability standard for GPS beacons. Apple was thus able to define its own criteria and conditions so that competitors of AirTags are detected by iPhones.
Google has been waiting for this integration into iOS since December, when Apple was just finalizing a first version of the specifications. One of the main reasons for this interoperability standard is that all phones have spam tracking alerts, for any tag. This is to prevent users from being followed without being aware. Thus, the common project of the two GAFAMs isa cross-platform GPS tracker detection system.
Google's Find My Device will arrive at the same time
According to data reported by Apple Insider, it may be that the Apple firm has implemented this long-awaited supportin iOS 17.5. At least that's what the code suggests. Especially since this corroborates with information from 9to5Google, which thinks that Alphabet could release its Find My Device network adapted to Apple next week.
As specified in ourprevious articleon this subject:Google is also set to roll out the Find My Device network on Android, but it's waiting for Apple to roll out tracking alerts from non-Apple trackers on iPhone first.
The various information concerning this joint project between Apple and Google therefore seems to show that it is coming to an end. Which means Apple and Android users will soon have better protection against criminals using GPS beacons.
