Mobile devices gain more features as they get smaller, but that makes them easier to misplace. That is why Apple offers the Find My app to its customers.
There hasn’t been an official alternative for Android users until recently. On April 8, 2024, the popular search company launched Google Find My Device’s offline capabilities.
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The free app may now help Android users locate missing devices, even if they’re offline! That includes your phone and other digital accessories, too.
What is Google Find My Device?
Tech news website ZDNet says Google launched the Find My Device network in September 2023. However, Apple’s Find My app gained offline capabilities sooner.
On April 8, 2024, Google provided the alternative Android users have been waiting for. It started the rollout in the US and Canada then it expanded access worldwide.
Apple’s gadget locator uses satellites, but Google uses Bluetooth. Also, the latter uses a “new, crowdsourced network of over a billion Android devices.”
Google Security Blog says the Bluetooth network uses end-to-end encryption. Also, its related article says the feature is “only accessible to the Bluetooth tag owner and anyone the owner has shared the tag with in the Find My Device app.”
“Only the Bluetooth tag owner and those they’ve chosen to share access with can decrypt and view the tag’s location,” the blog added.
The Google Find My Device network allegedly does not allow the company to use location data from your phone and your missing device.
Also, Google reportedly cannot identify the owners of the nearby Android devices that shared the misplaced gadget’s location.
These limitations ensure privacy and security while using the locator network. Moreover, the app lets you do the following:
- Locate your device on a map despite being offline. Moreover, it lets people locate Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro phones even if they’re turned off or have depleted batteries.
- Track items with compatible Bluetooth tags. For example, you may slip a Bluetooth tag in your wallet so that you can find it with your phone.
- Share an accessory to let loved ones keep an eye on them. For example, you may share your house key with your roommate or your luggage with a travel buddy.