Apple’s Tile-like location tracking Tag hardware hinted at in iOS 13 beta

Before WWDC 2019, Apple was rumored to be working on a new, Tile-esque Bluetooth tracking tag that would work with the company’s newly updated Find My app that it showcased. And while Apple didn’t announce any new tracking hardware, the iOS 13 developer beta reportedly references a device called “Apple Tag” that appears to be the rumored tracker, as spotted by Steve Moser and 9to5Mac.

As Moser discovered, iOS 13 contains code for pairing a Bluetooth device with the hardware designation “Tag1,1” that is similar to that for pairing a nearby HomePod or pair of AirPods. And 9to5Mac dug even further, discovering what may be a render of the device, pictured above.

The Apple Tag is said to be a Bluetooth tracker that you’ll be able to attach to, say, your keys, similar to Tile. Like Tile, the Tag would utilize the same Bluetooth network of other Mac and iOS devices that Apple introduced as part of its updated Find My app, which leverages the sheer number of Apple devices out there to help locate and track missing or stolen items.

Given the scope of the redesign Apple put into the Find My app, it’s easy to see that the company has bigger plans for it than just finding lost iPhones or Macs. A dedicated Bluetooth tracker seems like a natural fit here to continue to expand that service.

We still don’t know when Apple will be announcing the Apple Tag (assuming it is real), but with the company almost guaranteed to have a hardware event in September for new iPhones and Apple Watches, it’s easy to imagine that the company could announce the Tag there, too.