Apple may have just accidentally leaked an unreleased iPhone accessory that would help you find lost items with your phone
- Apple posted and quickly removed a video tutorial that mentioned an unreleased rumored product called AirTags, according to blog Appleosophy.
- The product is said to be a Tile-like accessory that would allow you to track the location of lost items like keys and wallets through your iPhone.
- Apple is expected to release AirTags in the first half of 2020.
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For months, rumors have been swirling that Apple is developing a new Bluetooth accessory called AirTags that would help users track belongings like wallets and keys using the "Find My" app.
Now, Apple has seemingly dropped a huge hint that the product is real, as the company reportedly mentioned the gadget in a video tutorial.
The mention was included in video posted to Apple's support YouTube channel and was quickly taken down, according to blog Appleosophy. The video showed what appeared to be a screenshot for the "Find My" app located in the iPhone's settings menu. AirTags was mentioned in the description, for an option called "Enable Offline Finding."
"Offline finding enables this device and AirTags to be found when not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular," the description read, per Appleosophy.
Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Apple's rumored AirTags are said to be small trackers that could be attached to items like keys, purses, and wallets so that they can be tracked via your iPhone's Find My app. That sounds a lot like Tile, which sells small tracking accessories in various sizes that can be used to track down easily lost items through an app on your phone.
Blog 9to5Mac reported last year that Apple was developing the product, and MacRumors discovered more details about it hidden in Apple's code. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his often-accurate Apple predictions, also listed AirTags as one of the products he expects the company to launch in the first half of 2020.
In the months since rumors about Apple's AirTags have emerged, Tile has accused Apple of leveraging its control of the iPhone to give it an unfair competitive advantage.
Tile joined Sonos and other tech firms in a hearing before Congress back in January to explain why large tech companies like Apple and Amazon are harming competition in the industry. The company argues that new geolocation settings implemented in the latest iPhone software hampers the Tile user experience, potentially giving Apple and advantage should it launch its own similar product.