Google with the ability to find switched off phones

The use of the "Find My Device" service is currently only possible if the Android phone is turned on and has a connection to the World Wide Web. But soon it will be different.

Photo: Google

Google will start using an upgraded Find My Device network in the US and Canada, the company announced on Monday. The network will soon be available to Android users worldwide. Find My Device's crowdsourced network of over a billion Android devices can help users find lost 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 are offline, by calling them or viewing their location on a map. Google's previous Find My Device service required lost phones to be connected to the Internet in order to be found.

Starting in May, Android users will be able to search for everyday items like keys or a wallet. Google has integrated Bluetooth tracking tags from Chipolo and Pebblebee into its Find My Device app. These tags will be made specifically for the Find My Device network and will be "compatible with alerts about unknown tracking devices on Android and iOS to protect users from unwanted tracking," according to Google. Users can expect compatible brands from Motorola, Jio and Eufy later this year. Apple and Google announced last year that they would work together to lead an industry-wide initiative to warn users about unwanted tracking from Bluetooth devices.

The new Find My Device network also connects to Nest smart home gadgets and shows the proximity of a lost device to Nest home devices.

"Searching My Device is secure by default and private by design," Google VP of Engineering Erik Kay wrote in a blog post. “The multi-layered protection built into the Find My Device network helps keep you safe and your personal data private, while giving you control over the devices connected to the Find My Device network. This includes end-to-end encryption of location data and aggregated device location reporting, a first-of-its-kind security feature that provides additional protection against unwanted tracking to a home or private location.”

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