Google Find My Device network now released

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#3250615 18-Jun-2024 20:31

I'm a bit confused by this thread

lchiu7:

Google has now released it's Find My Device network and app. I checked if there were any unknown devices in my house and found an Apple Air Tag which I think is my wife's :-)

- The Google app on my phone doesn't have a scan function
- How does it alert you to the device when that's not supposed to work unless an Air Tag has become orphaned? Apple has "Tracker Detector" for Android that is supposed to cover this point.

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#3250700 19-Jun-2024 07:55

You need to install Find My Device.

The Unknown Trackers function is built-in. Go to Settings and search for "trackers" and you will see under Safety and Emergency the option to notify you of unknown trackers, even if you don't have Find My Device installed.

lchiu7

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#3250821 19-Jun-2024 14:15

I borrowed a colleague's air tag and walked to the other side of our office, well outside the range of the tracker and fired off Unknown Trackers. It found 4 air tags! I can't believe there were 4 around me not connected to their owner's phones. I tried ringing them all but my phone did not connect to any of them so that is strange.

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#3250974 19-Jun-2024 21:36

freitasm:

You need to install Find My Device.

The Unknown Trackers function is built-in. Go to Settings and search for "trackers" and you will see under Safety and Emergency the option to notify you of unknown trackers, even if you don't have Find My Device installed.

That's the app I've got installed.

The only option in the app's settings is to "Use Find My Device"

Searching the phone's settings for "trackers" gives no results. If I search for "find" it gives the app as a result and tapping it jumps to the same as above.

I did then go through the Safety menu you'd listed and it has "Unknown tracker alerts"... Yeah so should have searched for "tracker" which finds the option :)

It didn't pick up the AirTag on our dog thankfully.

This isn't good if what others are saying is true and it's displaying other people's trackers that haven't been orphaned - people obviously place the tags on items of value.

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#3250978 19-Jun-2024 22:05

MadEngineer:

This isn't good if what others are saying is true and it's displaying other people's trackers that haven't been orphaned - people obviously place the tags on items of value.

The Unknown Trackers alert is to let people know if they have travelled with a tracker that doesn't belong to them for an extended period of time.

Think stalkers, home violence, etc. Bad people putting trackers on people they want to keep tabs on.

Yes, people put these on things of value but they do not exist to prevent theft and certainly not to stalk people. These trackers exist to find things.

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#3250979 19-Jun-2024 22:11

I'm fully aware of its purpose but curious how it's showing odd results mentioned above, such as my first quote where lchiu7 thought it had found one of his wife's devices.

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#3250980 19-Jun-2024 22:14

Below the switch there's an option. In my case "Find offline devices".

You can tap on that to change the option (it is not clear). You will have instructions when you link your first tracker.

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lchiu7

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#3251969 22-Jun-2024 16:58

@freitasm Just wondering how you are finding your trackers? I haven't been able to get a working use case yet since I have one in my wallet and one in the car. And when my wife went on a long drive in the car and parked at a friend's house the tracker still showed its last known location, which was the garage. I guess i am going to have to ask her to carry one in her purse and when she travels around see if I can track the purse :-)

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#3252423 24-Jun-2024 12:34

lchiu7:

And when my wife went on a long drive in the car and parked at a friend's house the tracker still showed its last known location, which was the garage. I guess i am going to have to ask her to carry one in her purse and when she travels around see if I can track the purse :-)

It does feel like the network isn't quite ready yet, (even given the fact that Google generally rolls out features in the US before expanding further.)

As this review points out, "..for phones actively on the Find My Device network, participation is only in the aggregate. According to Google, your tracker's location is only updated once "multiple" Android phones have connected to it. Once that happens, those devices' locations at the times they connected to the tracker are averaged to give you the tracker's approximate location."

So your lost device needs to be near multiple other Android phones over a period of time for it to show up on the network.

I suspect that Google may change these settings to be more aggressive as it rolls out if people start complaining that the current setting only really works well in a busy city center, but it still feels like the trackers and network are quite a few months from working well.

Added to reports that unlike the existing offerings, upcoming Find My Device tags will have UWB support in addition to Bluetooth (such as Motorola's proposed Moto Tag), it does feel that early adopters will have a sub-optimal experience compared to those who wait six or twelve months.

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#3252479 24-Jun-2024 12:45

The main reason is that as it launches, fewer devices will connect, which could lead to privacy issues. As the numbers grow, individual devices will be less impacted by these.

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#3254481 29-Jun-2024 16:53

I read there are indications that Google’s looking at adding in support for UWB to Find My Device: https://9to5google.com/2024/06/06/android-find-my-device-ar-uwb-support/

This makes me wonder whether it’s worth holding off before I spent $450 on Pebblebee trackers to see if anything with UWB support is announced… That said, chances are most if not all new models are unlikely to be rechargeable (eg the new Moto Tag does have UWB and work with FMD, but is a AirTag lookalike with CR2032 batteries).

Is it worth waiting or just go ahead with the Pebblebees, do you reckon?

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#3254486 29-Jun-2024 17:04

You have to consider if you have a UWB-compatible phone (which I assume you have since you are wondering).

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#3254537 29-Jun-2024 17:22

freitasm:
You have to consider if you have a UWB-compatible phone (which I assume you have since you are wondering).

Yep, have it on my current phone... Seems an ideal use case to have it on trackers, but not sure if it should be a deal breaker...

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#3254544 29-Jun-2024 17:55

The new motorola tracker supports UWB.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Motorola-releases-Moto-Tag-tracker-with-camera-remote-function.853014.0.html

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#3254545 29-Jun-2024 18:07

hairy1: The new motorola tracker supports UWB.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Motorola-releases-Moto-Tag-tracker-with-camera-remote-function.853014.0.html

Yep, I mentioned that specifically in my post! (“eg the new Moto Tag does have UWB and work with FMD, but is a AirTag lookalike with CR2032 batteries”).

This product kinda highlights my quandary: no product thus far offers the whole package that I’m looking for, notably a variety of forms (we use trackers in our wallets, on our ear buds, and on keys), rechargeable, UWB, and isn’t exclusively compatible with its own brand of phone (which rules out the Samsung Tag 2; while all my family currently have Samsung phones, it can’t be assumed this will always be the case). Pebblebee’s the only brand that meets most of those requirements - hence why I’m wondering whether it’s worth worrying about UWB.

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