staff@slashgear.com (Max Miller)
2024-04-15 10:00:30
www.slashgear.com
The most exciting feature in Google’s Find My Device update is the ability to leverage a network of every Android device in your vicinity to track down a lost device or Bluetooth tracking tag. Google’s Find My Device now tracks down Bluetooth signals emitted by devices and determines the location of the signal relative to your phone.
At launch, the network will enable discovery for phones and tablets. Thanks to what the company calls “specialized Pixel hardware,” the vastly improved Pixel 8 and 8 Pro can be located even if they’re turned off or have a dead battery, while other Android devices running Android 9 and up can be located as long as they have power. However, devices do not need to be connected to the Internet. They can be made to ring and will show up on a map even if they’re offline.
Google assures users that location data is end-to-end encrypted to prevent anyone other than the device’s owner — including Google — from seeing the location of devices.
To use the new Find My Device network, open the Find My Device app and tap the device you wish to locate. You can ring it, get directions to its location, or see its relative position in areas where the network is active. For your safety, you won’t see a relative position in your own home. Additionally, you can fine tune the degree to which your devices contribute to the network.