Google has officially announced the activation of its revamped Find My Device network for Android, which can locate devices even when they are offline. This feature is being rolled out globally, starting in the US and Canada, for devices running Android 9 and later.
The network, which will include over a billion devices, will make it easier to locate Android devices, even when they’re offline. For the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, these devices will be trackable even when they’re powered off or the battery is dead, thanks to specialized Pixel hardware.
Starting in May, new Bluetooth tracker tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee will be available. These tags will be locatable in the Find My Device app as they are built specifically for the new Find My Device network. They will also be compatible with unknown tracker alerts across both Android and iOS to protect against unwanted tracking. Additional Bluetooth tags will arrive later this year from Anker’s eufy, Jio, and Motorola.
If you’re close to a lost device but still can’t see it, a “Find nearby” button will appear to help you figure out exactly where it is in your proximity. This will work with the new Bluetooth tags from May onwards. If you’re at home and have Nest devices, the Find My Device app will be able to pinpoint a lost device’s proximity to those Nest devices.
Finally, you can also ‘share’ devices with people, so you can more easily find them if they go missing. Google says it has implemented “multi-layered protections” into its new Find My Device network to help keep you safe and your personal information private. Location data is end-to-end encrypted.