Apple’s Find My Feature: From Humble Intern Idea to Tech Staple

Apple‘s Find My feature, a lifesaver for many who have experienced the panic of a missing phone, has a humble origin story according to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. In a conversation with tech YouTuber Safwan AhmedMia, Cue revealed that the idea for the Find My ecosystem stemmed from an intern at Apple.

The concept for the Find My feature was sparked by the simple scenario of someone misplacing their phone on the couch. This relatable moment of phone anxiety led the intern to propose a solution that would evolve into the now widely-used tool.

Initially introduced as Find My iPhone at Apple’s 26th Worldwide Developers Conference in 2009 alongside the iPhone OS 3, the feature was exclusively available to members of Apple’s erstwhile paid service. Following the launch of iCloud in 2011, it was made free for all Apple users.

Expanding beyond just iPhones, the evolution of the Find My feature saw the introduction of ‘Find My Mac’ in 2011, making it possible to track Apple devices like Macs and later extending to iPads and Apple Watches. Cue highlighted the expansion into everyday items with the development of AirTags, allowing people to locate personal belongings like keys and luggage.

Find My Friends, another offshoot of the original idea, was announced in 2011, a day before the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder. A decade later, the release of AirTag marked a new chapter in physical tracking devices, catering to the need for locating various everyday items.

While Apple’s Find My feature has become a standard in device location technology, other companies like Google have also entered the field. Earlier this year, Google announced the availability of their own ‘Find My Device’ feature for Android devices, showcasing the influence and importance of Apple’s initial intern-inspired idea in the tech industry.