Not to be confused with Apple’s Find My network, of course, Google formally launched its Find My Device network for Android last month. However, as Google’s service functions similarly to Apple’s and Tile’s, too, the identical names make sense in this instance. By utilizing the larger Android device network, Google’s service assists you in locating lost or forgotten devices. Do you recognize this?
How does Android’s Find My Device work?
By utilizing a global network of more than one billion Android devices, Find My Device enables you to determine the approximate position of any connected, compatible device. (At first, though, Find My Device is limited to use in the US and Canada.)
Any nearby Android phone can be passively connected to by connected gadgets when you leave them behind via Bluetooth. When an Android user comes within roughly thirty feet of the device using Bluetooth, the device’s location is updated in the Find My Device network, giving you a basic notion of its whereabouts. This functions even when your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro device is offline. Find My Device allows you to still find your phone even if it runs out of battery life.
But you may use more than just other people’s gadgets to locate your misplaced belongings: To locate others, you can also utilize your own gadgets. When you get close enough to the lost device, a Find nearby option will show up. This will use an on-screen radius to guide you straight to the position of your device. Additionally, your Nest gadgets might serve as beacons for your misplaced devices: You may also locate those missing things if they are near enough to one of your Google smart home gadgets.
Currently, Find My Device is limited to Android smartphones and tablets; but, beginning in May, Google plans to expand the network to include Bluetooth-enabled devices. This includes Pebblebee and Chipolo Bluetooth trackers, and according to Google, suitable tags will be released later this year by firms including Motorola, Jio, and Eufy. Google also allows you to share goods with other users, so you can give your house-sitting friend the TV remote or lend your car keys to someone else.
How about the security of Find My Device?
There have been rumors circulating that Find My Device poses a security threat. Yes, it sounds like a dream come true for stalkers and other nefarious characters that all these Android devices are exchanging location information with one another. However, the truth is that using Find My Device on Android or Find My on iOS is completely safe.
According to Google, all location data, including aggregated device location reporting, is end-to-end encrypted, meaning that only you and Google should be able to view the whereabouts of your goods. This also applies to the users whose devices are sharing your things’ location: Because their data is end-to-end encrypted, neither they nor you will be able to determine that their device shared the position with yours. The business even claims that it will use your device as a tracker instead of utilizing all aggregated location data if one of your gadgets can assist in finding your lost item.
In order to reduce the possibility of nefarious real-time tracking, Google claims to limit the frequency of refreshes and not begin storing location data until it detects the presence of many devices nearby. Stated differently, the feature is excellent for stationary objects (e.g., keys left at a coffee shop), but it will not provide real-time updates if the keys are left in the back of a taxi. Furthermore, your smartphone will not add to the crowdsourced location data used to detect other devices if you are close to home and have linked your address to your Google account.
Lastly, Find My Device is compatible with the well-established anti-stalker mechanisms that are included in both iOS and Android. Your smartphone will notify you and provide guidance on where to find and turn off any unusual trackers it finds. In actuality, a new standard for identifying trackers was just released by Apple and Google: If you have an odd tracker following you, your Find My service will assist you in finding it, regardless of whether you use an iPhone or an Android device.
How to use Find My Device
You will need the Play Store app Find My smartphone and an Android smartphone running at least Android 9 in order to get started. As an alternative, you can access the Find My Device website on a desktop computer.
If you are looking for your own device, click Proceed; however, if you are assisting a friend, have them enter their login information by selecting Sign in as a guest. Select the device you wish to locate from here: It is possible that you will need to enter your Google password or confirm the PIN on your device. This action will notify that device after it is confirmed.
Your device should now be visible on the map. You can utilize the Find nearby option if you are close enough to the device, or you can choose to get instructions to it.
There are a couple more choices available to you: You can select to play a sound from your device, which will cause it to ring for five minutes at maximum volume (use caution when doing this). To ensure that no one can access it, you can also lock your device using a password or PIN utilizing Secure device: You can leave a message for anyone who finds your device to help them get in touch with you if you choose to use this function.
The last option is to remove the device from your account if you are unable to locate it.
How to turn off Find My Device
It is simple to turn off Find My Device on Android devices if you ever want to. First, select the device for which you wish to turn off the feature, then navigate to Settings > Security & privacy > Find My Device. Your Android device will stop using the service if you disable Use Find My Device from this menu.