The latter will get encrypted last-known-location reports for Android devices, using a new privacy-centric framework. In the latest Google Play System update change log (December 15), the company has revealed that it is ready to deploy the new feature in Find My Device. Google has also been working on a similar tracking capability for the Android ecosystem since mid-2021 and now, it is being reported that it is bringing it to the Find My Device feature. Even Apple has no access to the feed, but only the user will be able to find the last known location of the lost device (without the internet). And, thanks to end-to-end encryption, it offers full protection for users' privacy. The Cupertino-based company uses the network of billions of iPhones, iPads, and Macs around the world to catch Bluetooth signals, which are most of the time activated on all devices, to track lost or misplaced Apple devices. It later introduced Bluetooth-based AirTags accessory that can be located by iPhones with a turn-by-turn location guide. It allowed users to detect their lost iPhones and iPad even when they are not connected to the internet.

Nothing is concrete anyway, so that may change once the Find My Device network (if ever) launches.In 2019, Apple improvised the feature-rich Find My app with the iOS 13. The wording of the first string suggests everyone who turns on the Find My Device feature will also be required to enable tracking for other lost devices.

This hints that Google will leverage every Android device on Google Play Services to help locate lost or stolen Android devices, without a data connection. The first says ”Allow your phone to help locate your and other people’s devices” and the second one reads ”Find My Device network”. The teardown revealed hidden code found in the latest version of the Google Play Services 21.24.13 in the beta channel.

An APK Teardown suggests Google is working on a similar crowd-sourced network for locating lost things. What these trackers have in common is they both use a crowd-sourced network of devices to help track and locate lost tags or other devices. Both Samsung and Apple have their own trackers: the SmartTag and the AirTag, respectively.

Google find my device android