Google Find My Device network now released

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#3254714 30-Jun-2024 14:03

jonathan18:
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...

I might be missing some subtlety here but while UWB is good for finding your device near you, ideally UWB is only going to help if when you are trying to locate your device of phones near it have UWB so that they are more likely to connect to your tracker? In the iPhone world it appears most phones from the iPhone 11 have UWB but in the Android world the choice appear to be limited to the Pixel 6 Pro and above and the Pixel Fold. And for Samsung it's a wide range of phones from the Note 20 and Galaxy 21 and above.

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#3258603 12-Jul-2024 09:31

How would these work as a child tracker?

We are planning an international trip to Japan and my 6 year old has the attention span of a goldfish and wanders off.

I am guessing the standard Chipolo Ones ($24) that you get at Noel lemmings don't work with the find my phone network and so are more like the Tiles? The Pebblebee ones are a lot more expensive ($75) and then you have the samsung ones ($40) which network with all samsung phones but seem to have very mixed reviews.

Wish it was as simple as apple sometimes.

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#3258604 12-Jul-2024 09:34

blackjack17:

How would these work as a child tracker?

We are planning an international trip to Japan and my 6 year old has the attention span of a goldfish and wanders off.

I am guessing the standard Chipolo Ones ($24) that you get at Noel lemmings don't work with the find my phone network and so are more like the Tiles? The Pebblebee ones are a lot more expensive ($75) and then you have the samsung ones ($40) which network with all samsung phones but seem to have very mixed reviews.

Wish it was as simple as apple sometimes.

You want the Chipolo Point, that works with the Google Find My Device.

The other (older) Chipolo requires the app installed (like the old Tile) so a much smaller chance of being tracked.

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#3258608 12-Jul-2024 09:44

freitasm:

blackjack17:

How would these work as a child tracker?

We are planning an international trip to Japan and my 6 year old has the attention span of a goldfish and wanders off.

I am guessing the standard Chipolo Ones ($24) that you get at Noel lemmings don't work with the find my phone network and so are more like the Tiles? The Pebblebee ones are a lot more expensive ($75) and then you have the samsung ones ($40) which network with all samsung phones but seem to have very mixed reviews.

Wish it was as simple as apple sometimes.

You want the Chipolo Point, that works with the Google Find My Device.

The other (older) Chipolo requires the app installed (like the old Tile) so a much smaller chance of being tracked.

Thank you.

Looks like they aren't released in NZ yet?

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#3258614 12-Jul-2024 09:46

Buy online directly from Chipolo. That's what most here did (either Chipolo or other brands).

But if it releases on Wednesday here, it's not long to go.

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#3259850 15-Jul-2024 17:13

I had an interesting experience with my Pebblebee. I asked my wife to put one in her handbag (she has an iPhone) and we went out together. During the day we separated and she went to a Wellington restaurant and then a cafe in the suburbs. At no time during the day did the location of her tag showed any movement from the last time we were together.

Then later when home she showed me a informational display on her phone saying Pebbletee tracker detected and displayed a map where it had been. That was not correct since it showed a location she had not been to!

Stil pretty disappointing so far if all I want to do is track missing items (or wives :-) ) It might be better for luggage when we go travelling. I do have the setting turned on to use any available network but I think she never came close to a person with an Android phone.

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#3260841 17-Jul-2024 18:54

Is anyone else seeing all location requests failing?

I have new devices, so I opened the Find My Device app to see if it all works. For all devices (VChipolo Point, other phones, watch) it says "Can't find location". Looking on the other phone, a notification comes up: "Find My Device is trying to locate this device" but nothing happens.

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#3260924 18-Jul-2024 09:12

freitasm:

Is anyone else seeing all location requests failing?

I have new devices, so I opened the Find My Device app to see if it all works. For all devices (VChipolo Point, other phones, watch) it says "Can't find location". Looking on the other phone, a notification comes up: "Find My Device is trying to locate this device" but nothing happens.

I am using Pebblebee. I just checked and it found the one in my wallet and the one I have in a drawer at home.

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#3260930 18-Jul-2024 09:28

Thanks. I should've tested on the other phone too - which is working.

So I cleared data for the Find My Device app, logged in again and it's now working.

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#3313176 26-Nov-2024 17:00

In case anyone else is interested in trying these, Pebblebee (finally!) has a sale on its trackers—30% off various sets and combinations. I paid $336 for 4x cards (for wallets) and 4x tags (ours will be for headphones).

I noticed they're now advertising all products as both Apple and Android compatible, which sounds great - but of course the kicker is they only work with one at a time, and will require re-setting before using the other. Sure, useful if one switches phone platforms, but otherwise pretty moot.

These are the bundles (https://pebblebee.com/pages/bundles) but if you want two or four of the same item, these also have 30% off and can be selected via the individual item's page).

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#3313180 26-Nov-2024 17:09

@jonathan18:

In case anyone else is interested in trying these, Pebblebee (finally!) has a sale on its trackers—30% off various sets and combinations. I paid $336 for 4x cards (for wallets) and 4x tags (ours will be for headphones).

Might be good to post here Forum: Bargains and Deals

lchiu7

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#3313249 26-Nov-2024 19:23

I lent one of cars to my daughter and put one of the Pebblebee devices in the car. She and her flatmate are both iPhone people so it never realy registered when the car was parked at her apartment. But I did get a few hits in the city as she drove around, shopping etc. and presumably the car came near to Android devices. I think if she had had the device on her person I might have got more hits. But even when it was in the car the iPhone issued an alert saying there was an unknown tracker in her vicinity :-)

Going on an overseas trip shortly and I will put a couple in our bags and likely get more hits.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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#3332558 17-Jan-2025 08:38

lchiu7:

I lent one of cars to my daughter and put one of the Pebblebee devices in the car. She and her flatmate are both iPhone people so it never realy registered when the car was parked at her apartment. But I did get a few hits in the city as she drove around, shopping etc. and presumably the car came near to Android devices. I think if she had had the device on her person I might have got more hits. But even when it was in the car the iPhone issued an alert saying there was an unknown tracker in her vicinity :-)

Going on an overseas trip shortly and I will put a couple in our bags and likely get more hits.

Well I am now glad I had these tags. Just came back from a trip to China, where BTW, the tags never worked because even if the tags managed to be in range of an Android phone, that phone would not be connected to Google.

I just flew back from China via Melbourne to Wellington. When I got to Wellington I checked my tag and it showed my luggage still in Melbourne :-( I thought it might be an error since the bag had to go to Melbourne first) but when the bag didn't show up I went to the lost baggage office and they informed me, they were expecting me! They knew my bag had not made it to the connecting AirNZ flight but didn't know where the bag was. I told them I think the bag is still in Melbourne. I asked how did they know my bag had not made the transfer and was told, they do have a manifest/bag count showing how many bags should have been transferred across and the count was one short and it was my bag. So at least I could tell them to look for my bag in Melbourne, not in China! Anyway the tag showed the bag as being in Wellington the next day, having arrived on the same flight as the one I had caught and two hours after the tag showed the bag was in Wellington, AirNZ called me to tell me they had located my bag and were having it delivered this evening. I think the delay was because it had to be cleared by MAF.

Interestingly as I tracked the bag in Melbourne, its location was showing as moving around the airport.

So the Google Find my Device appears to work globally, well at least for me.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

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#3360950 5-Apr-2025 12:47

How is everyone finding the Google Find My Device Network?

I'm planning to go to Ozzie in just under a fortnight, and Europe later this year, so am considering getting some form of tracker for my suitcase, just not sure which one.

Ideally one that's available to buy in New Zealand (so I can get it before I leave), but I suppose my question is do people find the Google Find My Device Network much good in NZ, and outside of NZ?

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#3360976 5-Apr-2025 14:42

It seems to work ok in New Zealand.

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