Google announces improvements to ‘Find My Device’ network for Android devices

Google has launched an improved Find My Device network in the US and Canada. This technology is very similar to Apple’s Find My service.

Find My Network for Android is a crowdsourcing network. That means billions of Android devices. The service was originally announced during last year’s Google I/O 2023 event.

“Find My Network” can find offline devices

Google says its new “Find My Network” will allow users to locate lost Android smartphones and tablets by ringing them and locate them on the app’s map. This works even if your device is offline. Now, if you’re wondering how it works, it uses Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi and mobile data.

Find your Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro even when they’re turned off

Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro users can use Find My Network to track their phone even when the phone’s battery is dead or the device is turned off. What kind of magic is this? Google spokesperson Natalie Johnson told The Verge in a statement that the phone has some reserve power, which is used by the Bluetooth chip. Apple and Samsung devices have similar functionality.

Find accessories using Bluetooth trackers

The new Find My Network service for Android allows users with Bluetooth trackers to track accessories such as keys, wallets, and luggage.[近くを検索]Tap the button to use the Find My app to find items on a map.

Google says the feature will start rolling out in May and will support Chipolo and Pebblebee tracker tags. The service will be expanded later this year to add support for Bluetooth tags from eufy, Jio, Motorola, and more. Find My Network also lets you use Google Nest to locate devices in your home.

Share accessories with family and friends

You can share accessories with friends and family using Find My Network. So you can use it to share things like house keys, TV remotes, luggage, etc., and everyone in your group can easily track lost items using the app.

The announcement also states that the Find My Device network will soon add support for headphones made by JBL and Sony. The new Find My Device network is compatible with all devices running Android 9 or later.

(Image via Google)

Google: “Find My Device is private and secure”

Mountain View says its “Find My Device” network is designed to be secure and private by default, with multiple layers of protection to protect the privacy of your personal information, and devices connected to the network. can now be controlled. Prevent unwanted tracking with end-to-end encryption of location data and aggregated device location reporting.

Google has published an article outlining how location crowdsourcing works on the Find My Device network. It states that users can choose to contribute to aggregated location reports using the default settings or opt-in to provide non-aggregated location information. You can also turn off your network completely.

You may know that Bluetooth tags are misused by some people to track and stalk other people. Issues like this are plaguing Apple’s AirTag trackers and are expected to be fixed in the upcoming iOS 17.5 update. Google has ways to prevent such abuse. Dave Kleidermacher, Android’s vice president of security and privacy, told The Verge that Google applies rate limits and throttles to reduce how often a device’s location is updated. This helps find lost items while reducing the risk of real-time tracking.

As a side note, in January I was able to use Google’s Find My Device network (an older implementation) to track down my mother’s phone and handbag that were stolen on a train. I made a remote call from home, and my family, with the help of local police, used the sound to locate and retrieve the bag.

The thief stole the cash and threw away the bag, but I think getting the phone and its data back was more important. We hope the new Find My Device network will be even better when it becomes available worldwide.

To use this, make sure you have the Find My Device app installed on your phone. You can find your device by logging on to https://www.google.com/android/find/. For more information on how to use the service, please see the help article on Google’s website.

Have you ever used Find My Device to track your lost phone?

summary

Article name

Google announces improvements to ‘Find My Device’ network for Android devices

explanation

Google is rolling out an updated Find My Device network that helps you more accurately find lost devices and accessories.

author

Ashwin

the publisher

Ghacks Technology News

logo

advertisement