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summary
- The iOS Find My app lets you track your lost or stolen device even when you’re offline. Google plans to add similar functionality to Android soon.
- Google’s upcoming Find My Device network relies on Bluetooth signals to find devices, so Bluetooth must be turned on.
- A string of code found in Android 15 suggests that if you turn off Bluetooth, the system may automatically re-enable it after a certain amount of time to support this feature. Masu. There may still be a way to disable this auto-on feature.
Find My iPhone (or more specifically the Find My app) is one of the most practical features you’ll find in iOS. It allows a user to track the location of his lost or stolen Apple device even when it is offline or powered off. Apple added most of these features six years after Google released its “Find My Device” app in 2013, but since then Google’s version has become more basic and Adding the ability to locate a phone without an active internet connection had been postponed. recently.
Google has flipped the switch on its Find My Device network for some users
Offline search feature settings are enabled in some but probably not working yet
As we previously reported, Google is finally preparing to add Find My Device network for Android in the coming days. This feature relies on his Bluetooth signals from potentially billions of his Android devices to track the device or accessory even when offline. But there’s a catch. As reported by Android Authority’s Android expert Mishaal Rahman, Android 15 will automatically enable Bluetooth on your device, making it visible in Google’s Find My Device network.
Google has been tight-lipped about how its upcoming Find My Device network will work, but a closer look at preview builds of Android 15 reveals some clues about the “Bluetooth auto-on” feature. became. If a user tries to turn off her Bluetooth in her Android’s Quick Settings, a new toggle will probably appear in her Bluetooth settings, making the feature “Automatically turn back on tomorrow.” It has an information label that says, “Features like Quick Share, Find My Device, and Device Location use Bluetooth.”
Source: Android Authority
Google’s Find My Device network requires a Bluetooth signal to track your device
Bluetooth is required for the Find My Device network on Android to track your device. However, the user must be able to turn off her Bluetooth on the device and ignore the Bluetooth auto-on toggle. In that case, your phone won’t help you track your lost or stolen Android device in the new network, but it will help you extend your battery life. Another informative string found in the Android 15 beta explains that apps can scan for nearby devices as usual even when Bluetooth is turned off.
When Bluetooth is on, your device can communicate with other nearby Bluetooth devices. Features like quick share, find my device, and device location use Bluetooth. Apps and services can scan for nearby devices at any time, even if Bluetooth is turned off. This can be used, for example, to improve location-based features and services. This can be changed in the Bluetooth scan settings.
Code from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) also provides more information about Google’s Find My Device network. This feature will be fully released in Android 15, but may be available in older versions as the API is not restricted to Android 15. Also, this feature is limited to Android 15, so third-party apps can’t trigger your device’s Bluetooth. System app. The bad news is that a device must use its AOSP’s Bluetooth stack to auto-turn on its Bluetooth, and this feature does not apply to all Android devices.
As smartphone thefts continue to rise, it’s wise to sacrifice some of your phone’s battery to enable this new feature. After all, the upgraded “Find My Device” network is other If we all put in a few milliamp-hours of money to find a stolen and offline cell phone, we would all benefit from it.
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