What is searchpartyd?

searchpartyd (shown as icloud.searchpartyd) is a key part of the Find My network on macOS.

What is searchpartyd?

searchpartyd is the "search party" daemon. It makes your Mac a member of Apple's crowd-sourced Find My network, the system of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that help find lost items.

What does it do?

searchpartyd has two jobs:

Helping others find their devices:

• Listens for encrypted Bluetooth signals from nearby lost Apple devices and AirTags
• Sends the detected location to Apple's servers without revealing who you are
• Your Mac does this on its own, quietly and privately

Finding your devices:

• Reads location reports from other people's Apple devices that spotted your lost items
• Decrypts location data for your own devices and AirTags
• Powers the "Items" tab in Find My (AirTags, third-party Find My accessories)

Is it tracking me?

No. The system is built with strong privacy safeguards:

• Your Mac's role in the network is fully anonymous
• Location reports are encrypted end to end, so only the owner can read them
• Apple cannot see the location data
• No personal details are shared

Does it use many resources?

No. It listens passively for Bluetooth signals and uses very little CPU and battery. The Bluetooth scanning is handled by hardware with low power use.

Can you turn it off?

You can turn off Find My in System Settings, then your name, then iCloud, then Find My Mac. However, your Mac will still help others find their devices unless you turn off Bluetooth entirely.

Should you worry?

No. It is a privacy-focused system that helps the whole Apple world find lost devices. Apple published the design so security researchers could check it.

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