The rollout of Google’s new Android Find My Device network has begun and will be rolled out more broadly “within three days,” as revealed in a recent Google email, according to some users. There is a possibility that This finally opens the door for some of Apple AirTags’ rivals to land on the platform for tracking lost belongings.
Android tipster discovered @Assembledebug X (formerly Twitter), it appears that Google has started rolling out a new Find My Device network on some devices in the latest Google Play Services beta (version 24.12.14, below).
So far, this rollout seems to be very limited and not even the full release of this feature that Google announced at Google IO 2023. These early users were shown a new settings page for the Find My Device network, but they still don’t have the option to opt-in to the service.
But for those who have been patiently waiting for an equivalent of AIrTags to arrive on Android, this is still a significant moment. And recently, 9to5Google claims that one of its contributors received an email from Google stating, “You’ll receive a notification on your Android device when this feature runs.” [Find My Device] It will turn on after 3 days. ”
It’s not yet clear how widespread that rollout will be, but it could hint that the “Find My Device” network could launch on April 7th or April 8th. Like its Apple rival, Google’s new “Find My Device” network will anonymously leverage millions of Android devices. Helps you track offline devices and accessories around the world (assuming you opt in).
Similar to recent iPhones, this offline tracking works by keeping your phone’s Bluetooth beacon signal active even when the handset is shut down. However, the offline tracking feature may not work on all Android devices. Previous rumors suggested that the full Find My Device network would start rolling out on Google Pixel 9 (and possibly Pixel 8) running Android 15.
The reason for the delay appears to be that Google was waiting for Apple to finalize its cross-platform tracking specifications. That appears to have happened, according to a new iOS 17.5 beta that adds unknown tracker alerts to Apple’s own Find My network. This follows a joint announcement in May 2023 where Google and Apple announced they would work together to tackle his AirTag stalking problem.
So what happens next? This slow rollout is likely to continue until Google IO 2024 on May 14th, when we’ll hear more about Android’s promising tracking network and, hopefully, some new third-party trackers from Tile and Chipolo. It is expected that it will be announced.
How does it work?
Android smartphones already have a limited Find My Device service that helps you find your phone if you’re nearby and connected to the internet. Google’s new network promises to be a major upgrade, similar to Apple’s Find My network, by allowing millions of Android smartphones to anonymously track lost devices. I am.
Apple calls it a “crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices,” but Android’s network could potentially be even bigger. They will also benefit from cross-platform alerts announced by Google and Apple to “combat abuse of Bluetooth location tracking devices.”
The question is when we’ll see Google AirTags, or at least a first-party product from Google that equates to trackers that attach to Google’s belongings. Given this apparent development of the Find My Device network, our money is put on some news at Google IO 2024, as we’ve previously heard rumors about his Google tracking device codenamed “Grogu.” That will be the case.
Given that manufacturers of third-party brands like Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee all support Apple and Google’s industry-standard partnership for Bluetooth trackers, we might also see some Android-flavored versions of the tracking devices at the same time. not.
Updated April 4, 2024: This article has been updated to include reference to an official Google email (selected by 9to5Google) suggesting that Find My Device could be widely rolled out on April 7th or 8th.
