Lost Android devices could soon be as easy to locate as iPhones

Date:
Fri, 18 Jun 2021 09:07:40 +0000

Description:
Code suggests Google is working on a crowdsourced Find My Device network for Android.

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If youve ever lost your Android phone youve probably turned to Googles Find
My Device service, and this can be a slick way to locate your handset as
long as its signed into your Google account and has an internet connection. But soon, you might be able to use a crowdsourced network of Android devices to locate your missing gadgets without that.

Thats because XDA Developers has found reference to a 'Find My Device
network' in code for the latest Google Play Services beta. There was also a string that reads 'Allows your phone to help locate your and other peoples devices.'

It sounds then like Google is building a Find My Device network that would allow other Android devices out in the world to locate your device if its nearby probably over Bluetooth and send the location to you. The Google Pixel 6 is expected later this year Check out the best Android phones These are the best Android apps In or out

From the wording it sounds like youd need to opt in, but that it would be an all or nothing situation, in that you wouldnt be able to leverage this device network to track your device if you didnt also agree to allowing your phone
to help locate other lost devices, and vice versa.

In any case, this crowdsourced network sounds a lot like what Apple is doing with its Find My iPhone service, and with AirTags , which rely almost
entirely on being nearby to an iDevice. It would also allow Google to launch
a rival device to the AirTag if it chose to, so you'd be able to locate anything the tracker was attached to.

But there are even more Android devices out in the world than there are iPhones, so Google has the potential to build the most powerful and robust device finding network yet. Of course, whether it will remains to be seen, as while the presence of this code likely means Google is exploring the idea, it doesnt guarantee the Find My Device network will ever see the light of day.

If it does though, perhaps well get some official news about it in upcoming Android 12 betas, or in the final Android 12 release, which is expected in or around September. Find my Android phone: how to remotely locate a lost
Android device

Via GSMArena



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/lost-android-devices-could-soon-be-as-easy-to-l ocate-as-iphones/


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