Google’s “Find My Device” feature is a useful tool for Android device owners to locate their lost or stolen phone or tablet. With this feature, users can see the device’s location on a map, play a sound to help locate it if it’s nearby, lock the device remotely, and even erase its data to prevent unauthorized access.
The feature can be accessed from any web browser or another Android device by signing in to the user’s Google account. It provides peace of mind for users who may have misplaced their device or had it stolen, allowing them to take swift action to protect their data and recover their device. However, it doesn’t work if the device is turned off, this is why Google is trying to overcome that issue.
91mobiles reports that Google is currently developing a “Find My Device” feature that will be capable of locating a device even when it’s turned off, similar to Apple’s “Find My” network.
The “Find My” feature by Apple enables users to locate their lost or stolen Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, and AirTags, even when they are not connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and even when they are powered off. This is made possible by using the vast network of Apple devices around the world that can anonymously relay the location of the lost device back to its owner.
Google is reportedly building a vast network of Android devices, including optional support for locator tags like Google’s “grogu” and Apple’s AirTags. The feature will likely be called “Pixel Power-off Finder” on Google Pixel phones.
The new feature is expected to be enabled through a new Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) definition called “hardware.google.bluetooth.power_off_finder,” which will allow precomputed Finger Network keys to be sent to the device’s Bluetooth chip to keep it enabled even when the phone is turned off.
However, the feature will require hardware support to keep the Bluetooth chip continuously enabled. At the time of writing, it’s unknown whether this feature will only be available for Pixel phones or eventually be available to newer Android devices running Android 14.
