Apple Will Launch a Key Finder Alongside iOS 13 (Report)

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The tracking accessory would work with iOS 13's Find My app

Find My iPhone is getting a revamp with iOS 13. And a new accessory might join it. (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

With the launch of iOS 13, Apple could be getting into the key finder business.

That's the word from MacRumors, which claims to have seen an internal build of Apple's upcoming mobile operating system update that points to a new tracking accessory from Apple. According to the report, you'll be able to use the attach the circular accessories to items like keys, backpacks, wallets and other things you want to keep tabs on in order to track down their whereabouts.

This isn't the first time we've heard rumors about Apple developing a key tracker. In April, 9to5Mac reported that Apple was looking to expand finding features beyond its own phones, tablets and laptops. A subsequent report found mentions of a product called Apple Tag within the iOS 13 beta.

Should Apple come out with its own key tracker, it would be entering a market currently dominated by Tile, which offers a range of gadgets you attach to your keys or stick in a wallet. When those objects are out of sight, you can launch Tile's app on your phone to either sound an alarm or get the last known location the object you're trying to track. Last year's Tile Mate and Tile Pro updates added replaceable batteries to the trackers, addressing a longstanding complaint some users had made about Tile's key finders.

MacRumors reports that Apple could also turn to augmented reality to make its tracking feature stand out — AR images could appear on your iPhone's screen to help you pinpoint a missing object's exact location. A tracker called Pixie offers a similar feature, though we found it awkward to use when we tested that device.

Philip Michaels
Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.