If you’ve ever tried to find a lost Android smartphone, you may have been frustrated by Google’s equivalent of Apple’s Find My network. If your smartphone is turned on and connected to Wi-Fi, Google’s Find My Device service works, but if your smartphone is turned off, you’re out of luck.
Fortunately, this situation could soon be a thing of the past.
In 2023, Google announced Find My Device, a Bluetooth-powered geolocation network for Android devices, which works similarly to Apple’s version. However, amid controversy over unwanted tracking via devices like AirTags, Google has shelved the feature.
Digging into APIs…
Although nothing official has been announced yet, a report from Android Police indicates that this feature could launch with the Pixel 9. And better yet, it could also come to older Pixel devices.
When Android devices are turned off, Bluetooth also turns off, meaning a device cannot be located by the Find My Device app or help find other devices. An upcoming power-off search feature would allow the device to store beacons in the Bluetooth controller’s memory. So even if the device is not turned on, it can still see and be seen by other devices.
Digging into some Android system APIs, Android Police noticed that such a system was starting to appear, but only for devices running “Vanilla Ice Cream”, Google’s internal name for Android 15.
“ro.bluetooth.finder.supported”
This is where things get interesting for current generation Pixel users. Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have a system code that says “ro.bluetooth.finder.supported.” No other Pixel phone, not even the Fold, has similar language.
It makes a lot of sense that Google would unveil this new network at the same time as the Pixel 9, but given that the Pixel 8 series has this code, some older phones could also be included.
The Pixel 9 is expected to launch later this year.
Source: “ZDNet.com”