Google has announced the availability of its enhanced Find My Device feature for Android phones and tablets, following a delay in its original summer 2023 release target. The feature utilizes Bluetooth technology across a vast network of over a billion Android devices to assist users in locating their misplaced devices, even when they are offline.
Notably, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro devices offer an additional advantage by being locatable even when powered off, as per a Google press release. When devices in the network report the location of a Bluetooth tag or device, the location data is end-to-end encrypted and can only be accessed by the device's owner.
Google emphasizes the security of the feature, stating that it cannot decrypt, view, or utilize the location data due to the end-to-end encryption. This move by Google brings Android closer to iOS capabilities in terms of device tracking, aligning the industry's standards for locating missing devices.
Further enhancements are expected in May with an update to the Find My Device app, enabling users to locate everyday items like keys or luggage equipped with tracker tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee. These tags will work with both Android and iOS alerts, with new compatible tags from Eufy, Jio, and Motorola slated for release later this year.
Google's spokesperson directed inquiries to official blog posts detailing the enhanced Find My Device experience and its security features, declining further comment on the release. Apple, when contacted for comment, chose not to provide a statement regarding the new Android feature.
On a separate note, Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, along with 31 other media groups, filed a $2.3 billion lawsuit against Google in a Dutch court on February 28. The lawsuit alleges losses incurred due to Google's advertising practices.
