On the Restrictions of Apple's "Find My" Service in South Korea

Original post from South Korea Apple discussions.

Apple launched the iPhone in South Korea in 2009, sparking the smartphone revolution. Since then, they have released products like the iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and AirTag, significantly changing people's lifestyles and quality of life.

One out of every four smartphones in South Korea is an iPhone, and over 10 million people use it. If we also count the unrecorded number of iPad users, the number is much higher.

Despite the widespread use of Apple devices in South Korea, the "Find My" feature, which helps locate a lost device, has never been activated throughout most of South Korea since its introduction in 2010. South Korea is the only country in the world where this feature is intentionally blocked.

Share your location with your family - Apple Support (English)

Due to this limitation, when Apple devices are lost within South Korea, users cannot use the device's built-in location sharing feature. Even if the device is connected to the internet, they have to rely on memory or the sound the device makes. Moreover, if the device's internet connection is lost, they cannot determine the last known location. Many people, both Koreans and foreigners in South Korea, have lost Apple devices and were shocked to see "No Location Found" in Find My. Realizing it meant "lost forever" would undoubtedly turn their shock into despair.

Apple devices also have a "People" feature allowing users to share their real-time location with each other. This is useful for families and friends to know each other's whereabouts and in emergencies. There have been instances in the US where kidnapped individuals were quickly located by the police using the Apple Watch's Find My service. However, this feature is entirely unusable in South Korea, leaving iPhone-using families helpless in emergencies.

While iPhones have some form of location tracking based on mobile carrier towers, its accuracy pales in comparison to device-based GPS. According to data, the accuracy of carrier-based location tracking is between 100m to 200m at best, and much worse in less populated areas. In contrast, iPhone's GPS accuracy is less than 1m.

AirTags, designed to show their location on a map, have been reduced to merely helping find items within a room in South Korea. iPhones can also act as detectors for AirTags, recognizing their location and relaying it to the owner. While many third-party products overseas have launched using AirTag's functionality, they are practically useless in South Korea due to these restrictions.

Apple claims they cannot use the Find My location data due to local laws. However, there are inconsistencies in this claim. For instance, the Find My service works perfectly in territories like Baekryeongdo, Ulleungdo, and Dokdo, which are under South Korean jurisdiction.

Apple's adherence to a supposed South Korean law that requires storing location data for six months is also questionable, given that other services like the Fitness app and photo geotagging seem to store and utilize location data without issues.

As of December 1, 2022, many tech reviewers and influencers have covered Apple devices, but none have highlighted this inconsistency in the Find My service. Even information that the service works in some parts of South Korea was missing. It seems that most South Koreans have either taken this limitation for granted or are indifferent to it.

Some might argue that people should simply not lose their belongings in the first place. However, humans are imperfect. No one intentionally loses things, and even if one is careful, others might mistakenly or intentionally take their belongings. Services like "Find My" exist to minimize the damage from such incidents.

Apple should promptly address and resolve the limitations of the Find My service in South Korea.