Google launches its upgraded Find My Device network | TechCrunch

Google is launching its upgraded Find My Device network in the U.S. and Canada, the company announced on Monday. The network will be coming to Android users around the globe soon. Find My Device’s crowdsourced network of more than a billion Android devices can help users find their misplaced Android devices and everyday items. The Find My Device network, which is similar to Apple’s Find My network, works with devices running Android 9+.

With the Find My Device network, users will be able to locate their Android phones and tablets — even when they’re offline — by ringing them or viewing their location on a map. Google’s previous Find My Device service required lost phones to have an internet connection in order to be located. The upgraded network will also allow Pixel 8 and 8 Pro users to find their devices even if they’re powered off or if the battery is dead.

Image Credits: Google

Starting in May, Android users will be able to locate everyday items like their keys or wallet; Google is integrating Bluetooth tracker tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee in the Find My Device app. These tags will be built specifically for the Find My Device network and will be “compatible with unknown tracker alerts across Android and iOS to help protect users from unwanted tracking,” Google says. Users can expect to see compatible tags from Motorola, Jio and Eufy later this year. Monday’s announcement comes as Apple and Google said last year that they would work together to lead an industry-wide initiative to alert users in the case of unwanted tracking from Bluetooth devices.

The new Find My Device network also integrates with Nest smart home gadgets and shows a lost device’s proximity to home Nest devices.

“Find My Device is secure by default and private by design,” Google’s VP of Engineering, Erik Kay, wrote in a blog post. “Multi-layered protections built into the Find My Device network help keep you safe and your personal information private, while keeping you in control of the devices connected to the Find My Device network. This includes end-to-end encryption of location data as well as aggregated device location reporting, a first-of-its-kind safety feature that provides additional protection against unwanted tracking back to a home or private location.”

Google says the Find My Device network will soon work with headphones from JBL, Sony and others.