Malcolm Owen
Finder for AirPods, an app designed to assist owners of Apple's AirPods in finding their audio accessory if it has been misplaced, was taken down from the App Store just a few days after it launched.
Developed by Deucks, the app worked by monitoring the strength of the Bluetooth signal transmitted by the lost AirPods. After selecting which AirPod is missing and docking the other in its case, users are then given an arc-shaped progress bar to show how strong the signal is, with the bar progressing to the right the closer the iPhone gets.
Posting on Reddit, a developer behind the app advised they had been in contact with Apple, and though there wasn't anything functionally wrong, Apple "didn't like the 'concept' of people finding their AirPods," deeming it "not appropriate for the App Store.
Apple has yet to publicly give a reason for why the app was removed from the App Store. AppleInsider has contacted Apple for comment.
Normally sold as a set for $159 in the U.S., Apple is currently charging $69 to replace a single lost AirPod or the charging case, making the $3.99 app seem like a cheaper alternative. Despite the potential market, the app does have some limitations that may disappoint some users.
Finder for AirPods relies solely on Bluetooth transmissions, which means it cannot find an AirPod if the battery is dead or if it is out of Bluetooth range entirely. The detected signal strength also doesn't take into account nearby objects, walls, and floors, making the reading inaccurate.
Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
41 Comments
I bet they don't want it on the App Store because they have plans to make their own and build it into macOS and iOS during future updates. Even if they worked with the developer in the end I think they thought this was a good idea. I know this sucks for the developers but I wouldn't doubt this is exactly the case.
They'd rather people paid $69 for a replacement AirPod.
This is likely being integrated into Find My iPhone, a name I hope changes soon.
Apple will never make an app for this....it's bad marketing...it is implying eventually one will lose their airpod. And, no, this can't be compared to Find My iPhone...no one buys a phone with the thought in their head, one day I will loose my phone, maybe I shouldn't buy one. For the airpods, a legitimate barrier to purchase is "I might lose them too easily". Apple would never compound this fear by building an app like this.
It seems to me that Apple, given it's not to recent purchase of an indoor geosync/gps? tech, would be able to come up with a more sophisticated and accurate 'find airpod' solution. This is what I believe they are waiting on or planning.