Track your devices via Apple FindMy network in Go/TinyGo

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Use of Find My via Go/TinyGo and Apple Accounts

  • Many are impressed by leveraging Apple’s Find My network from Go/TinyGo, including “macless” use.
  • Concern: Apple might eventually crack down or ban accounts used with unofficial clients.
  • Suggested mitigations: use burner Apple IDs, attach once to a device/hackintosh, reuse phone numbers or prepaid SIMs.
  • Heavy querying of location reports can trigger account bans.

How the Find My Network Works (as Discussed)

  • Tags broadcast rotating public keys; nearby Apple devices upload encrypted location reports for those keys to Apple.
  • Master secrets are generated when pairing and stored in iCloud Keychain; Apple doesn’t see them directly.
  • Anyone can download encrypted reports, but only holders of the corresponding private keys can decrypt them.
  • System is designed for finding lost items, not tracking people or stolen goods.
  • One comment notes two “networks”:
    • Crowd network (other devices reporting tag sightings).
    • Direct device-to-Apple location reporting for your own devices.

Privacy, Security, and Surveillance Concerns

  • Some see Find My as a potential surveillance nightmare and are leaving the ecosystem.
  • Others argue the cryptographic design prevents Apple (or governments) from simply querying tag locations without redesigning the system and pushing malicious updates.
  • It’s emphasized that Apple supposedly doesn’t know which tags belong to which users in the crowd network and can’t link rotating keys to accounts.
  • Skeptics counter that closed-source software and iCloud infrastructure ultimately require trust; “provable trust” claims are challenged.

Law Enforcement and Corporate Trust

  • Past Apple resistance to government backdoor demands is cited as partial reassurance.
  • Transparency reports and HSM-based key escrow are mentioned as mechanisms limiting Apple’s own access.
  • Others stress that telcos and other platforms already provide extensive location data to authorities; Find My is just one piece of a broader landscape.

Third-Party & DIY Tags vs AirTags

  • This project uses DIY beacons without rotating keys, avoiding the need to extract keys from AirTags.
  • Custom tags aren’t tied to Apple accounts, and Apple can’t easily distinguish them from official ones.
  • Cheap third-party Find My–compatible tags exist, though often without UWB and with shorter battery life.

Alternatives and Ecosystem Comparisons

  • Non-Apple users discuss Samsung SmartTags, Google’s network, Tiles, and Pebblebee.
  • Mixed reviews: some Samsung tags seen as unreliable or too ecosystem-locked; Tiles described as flaky/quiet.
  • Google’s tracker system is described as extremely privacy-focused, sometimes to the point of reduced practicality.
  • Debate over which large vendor (Apple, Google, Samsung) is “less evil,” with consensus that none are fully trustworthy.

Precision Location, UWB, and Everyday Use Cases

  • UWB-based precision finding on iPhone 11+ with AirTags can locate items within roughly a foot, which is valuable for people with ADHD/ADD who frequently misplace things.
  • Discussion of future Bluetooth “channel sounding” and DIY UWB systems for indoor positioning (e.g., tool tracking at events).
  • Some Android users consider buying a cheap used iPhone solely as a UWB/AirTag locator.

Real-World Tracker Stories

  • Multiple anecdotes describe successfully recovering lost or misplaced items (bags, purses, iPads, luggage, cars) thanks to AirTags/Find My.
  • Some users embed tags in valuables and “honeypots” against theft, sometimes disabling speakers for stealth.