Android now gets an Apple-like “Find My Device” network

Tracker from May

Ultimately, behind the find mechanism are various functions and technologies that can be used to narrow down locations. The simplest method is used when the tablet or smartphone is switched on: Here the device simply transmits its GPS data to the user’s Google account so that you can easily check where it is.

It becomes more difficult if the devices are switched off or do not have their own GPS module. Then an indirect location comes into play, shared Google with. The systems you are looking for then report to other Android devices in your area via energy-saving Bluetooth connections, which in turn transmit their ID, including location data, to the central service.

Select device…
…and find it with the help of friends

This also works with small Bluetooth trackers that you can hang on your key chain, for example, to find it again if you lose it. According to Google, this feature will be available from May, and the manufacturers Chipolo and Pebblebee will already be supplying corresponding trackers.

Find pixels with empty battery

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones can also be found via the Find My Network if the phone’s battery is empty or the device has been turned off. Here the devices then use a small residual current, which is still available even when the battery is empty, to power the energy-saving Bluetooth chip for passive tracker location.

Google emphasizes that the location data in the service is only visible to regular users. So they cannot be used to simply locate someone using their smartphone. However, the user can also share a search that has been started with other users – for example, a friend who lost his key at a party can help with the search on site. The Find My Device feature is now launching in the US and Canada and should be available in other regions in the near future.

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