Google made a significant update to Find My Device, announced at Google I/O 2023, which makes it easier to track your device and keeps users safe from rogue tracking devices. With this new upgrade, users can ping offline devices, allowing them to find their device even if it doesn’t have an internet connection. The company has also expanded the list of compatible devices, which means Find My Devices works with devices even if they are not made by Google. It has a new unknown tracker alert, so you will receive an alert if an unknown tracker is detected near your device for safety and privacy.
Google’s Find My Device feature helps you find lost or stolen devices, including smartphones, earbuds, tablets, and supported tracking devices. Make Find My Device more secure by adding a new alert system that warns you if a rogue tracking device is nearby. If Find My Device Network detects any unknown device, it will send you an alert with the location of the device, and you can use this to find the device and remove it.
Google’s Find My Device Network works on Android and Apple Devices.
The Find My Device network is a crowdsourced network of Android devices that help track lost or stolen devices, supported by billions of Android devices. This makes it quick and easy to track a missing device after enabling Find My Device on your Android device to start sharing its location with the network. It leverages Android devices worldwide to locate a device without extra equipment. If someone else’s Android device finds your device, it will send its location to the Find My Device network.
Find My Device network now supports headphones, tablets, and other Android apps, taking on Apple's AirTag.
**Google and Apple worked on unknown tracker alert.
Read More: https://t.co/1AF2k2Za8K#GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/3Ed5elZsMP— AndroidGreek (@AndroidGreek) May 10, 2023
You can then use the Find My Device website or app to see the locations of your device. New third-party tracking from companies like Tile will offer compatibility with Google’s Find My Device network. This network is a great way to find your lost or stolen device, making tracking more devices with the network easier. This works on both Android and Apple devices. These enhancements to Find My Device will be available in the summer. To expand its user base and device compatibility, the company is also attaching Bluetooth trackers like Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee to everyday objects to make them findable via the Find My Network, and this even works if they are offline or don’t have location capabilities.
The company is expanding its network platform to include more devices and use the network of other Android devices to help find lost items, similar to Apple’s Find My Network and Tile’s network. Google says they keep privacy as their top priority, and location data will be encrypted and not viewable by Google. The company is also working to prevent the malicious use of location-tracking products and has partnered with Apple to develop an unknown alert if they are being tracked by an unknown device, which means Apple and Google are working together to prevent stalking with these gadgets intended for convenience.
To protect users’ privacy, Google encrypts location information. The introduction of unknown tracker alerts informs users when an unrecognized tag is near or moving with them to protect their privacy. Unknown tracker alerts will inform users when an unrecognized tag is near or moving with them. The company is launching an Unknown Tracker feature on Android, and this will notify you if your phone detects an unknown tracker moving with you on a map to understand where it has been seen traveling with you and play a sound on the tracker to help locate it.
If you are concerned about your safety, you can physically disable the tracker and stop it from updating its location. The company has also outlined how Bluetooth tracker manufacturers can develop safer trackers compatible with detection and alert across Android and iOS platforms.
Find My Device Network Supports Keys and Wallet Trackers, Checkout Supportable Devices
Two new trackers are coming from Chipolo. Google is expanding its Find My Device network platform to include Key and Wallet trackers. This will be available in July 2023. The One Point Key Finder and Card Point Wallet Finder are lightweight, making them easier to carry. These trackers are water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about them getting wet. They also have long battery life. The company also offers similar One Spot and Card Spot trackers for Apple’s Find My Service.
This new network will build on top of Google’s existing Find My Device network and devices using billions of nearby smartphones will work with tracker tags, smartphones, smartwatches, and select headphones. The new network will be able to report back the location of a lost device in near real time. This app has been used for years to help users find their lost smartphones. After the new iteration of the app is released, it will work with tracker tags and other devices to do more than just jot down the last known location. You may have heard this before because this new network is similar to Apple’s Find My Network, which means it will be able to report back the location in near real-time to the owner to track down that device across the globe.
Apple and Google are working to address privacy concerns with the tracker tags. The new devices that will start working include Pixel Buds, headphones from Sony and JBL through a software update, and trackers from Chipolo and Pebblebee. There is only one first-party tracker like Apple’s AirTags. Pebblebee is also launching the Tag, Card, and Clip tracker for $29.99, and all these Pebblebee trackers are rechargeable without needing to replace the battery, but there is no cross-compatibility with any of the trackers.
Chipolo Card Point is a small credit card-sized tracker you can use to store in your wallet or purse, and One Point is a small puck-shaped tracker that can be attached to your keys or other belongings. These trackers can use Bluetooth to connect to your phone and let you track their location. While Chipolo One Point has a replaceable battery, Chipolo Card Point has a non-replaceable battery. In comparison, Chipolo One Point is louder at 120dB, then Chipolo Card Point follows at 105 dB. Also, Chipolo Card Point can be recycled and replaced at a 50% discount when it reaches end-of-life through Chipolo’s renewable program.
Both Point trackers have a location range of 60 meters (almost 200 feet), and both support Android’s Fast Pair feature, which makes it easier to connect them to your device. Both are IPX5-rated water-resistant standards, which means they can withstand heavy rain but not be submerged. To use the tracker, connect the Point tracker to an Android device running Android 9 or higher and have Google Play Service installed.
You can pre-order Chipolo One Point and Card Point trackers, which will be delivered in the second half of July 2023. The Chipolo One Point comes with a price tag of $28 for one and $79 for a pack of four, and the Chipolo Card Point costs $35 and $112 for four (plus replacement cost after a few years). A bundle containing one Card Point tracker and two One Point trackers is available for $77.
They work on Google’s network and manufactured apps but won’t work with Apple’s network, but there is no sign of new hardware yet. This is such a significant update that will make Find My Device more useful and secure if you have an Android device, and it’s recommended for Android users to enable Find My Device and keep it updated. Samsung has already started rolling out the Find My Mobile Service update, which brings some bug fixes, but this doesn’t include any changes or features.
