Apple Quietly Promotes this Hidden iPhone 15 Feature

With the iPhone 15, Apple has expanded its handy Precision Finding feature, taking it beyond merely locating AirTags to also let you track down nearby friends and family members, which takes finding them in a crowded location to a whole new level of accuracy and convenience.

At the heart of this feature is Ultra-wideband technology (UWB). This is a short-range radio frequency (RF) technology for wireless communication. Like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, UWB can transmit data between devices with radio waves.

UWB does this with short pulses over an “ultra-wide” range of frequencies capable of detecting the precise location of people and devices. It’s a key aspect of Apple’s AirTags, and thanks to a new U2 chip in the iPhone 15, it also enables highly accurate spatial awareness between those iPhone models.

So, as long as your friend or family member also has an iPhone 15, the devices can exchange signals to determine the exact distance and direction they are from each other.

To use this feature:

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Select the People tab at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap the name of the friend you want to meet. If you aren’t already following each other, you may have to share your location or ask for their location.

1. From there,select Find your friend nearby or See your friend in Maps depending on whether they’re within UWB range.
2. If your friend is nearby, they’ll receive a notification that you’re trying to find them.
3. Follow the directions on your screen. You’ll see their distance and direction from you on your screen.
4. Your screen will turn green when you’re on the right track.

It’s not hard to imagine the real-world applications of this new feature. Consider any crowded event, like music festivals, theme parks, and baseball games. Beyond convenience is the obvious safety element of Precision Finding. Being able to quickly locate someone in an unfamiliar or potentially unsafe area will definitely provide peace of mind. Another obvious application is parents keeping track of their children in busy public places.

Is the Finding Friends Precision Finding feature enough to convince you to upgrade your whole family to the iPhone 15 right away? Perhaps not yet. However, it’s almost certain to become widely used and indispensable in the future as more iPhones on the market gain the capability.