Apple iPhones have this incredible “Find My Device” network function that enables customers to trace any lost or stolen iPad, AirTag, Mac, or iPhone even when they are not in reach of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and even if the device is switched off.
In December 2022, Google teased a network feature called “Find My Device” that would allow users to track lost or stolen Android smartphones even when they were not connected to the internet. According to a report by Kuba Wojciechowski, Google is developing a “Find My Device” function that will be able to locate the device even when it is turned off, like Apple.
The New “Find My Device” from Google
The function will be known as Pixel Power-off Finder at least on Google phones. According to Kuba, the Mountain View company is rumored to be working on creating a vast network of all Android phones, including optional support for UWB, location tags similar to Apple AirTags, Google’s own tag nicknamed “grogu,” and more. It appears that Google has given Manufacturers signed up for the Early Access Program access to the early source code of Android 14.
The source code has been updated to incorporate a new specification for the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL), which is referred to as “hardware.google.bluetooth.power off finder.” According to the comments that were added to the code, precomputed Finger Network keys will be delivered to the Bluetooth chip of the device. This chip will remain active even when the phone is turned off. The capability is extremely comparable to that of iPhones, which have been capable of doing that for some time.
For this capability to work, the Bluetooth chip must have hardware support that allows it to be active at all times. It is still unknown whether or not already available smartphones, such as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7, will be able to support the necessary technologies; however, we are very confident that the upcoming Pixel 8 will come equipped with compatibility out of the box.
