Bluetooth trackers have made it easier to find things we've lost, but they've also given people a sneaky way to misuse them. To combat this, both Apple and Google have introduced notifications to alert you to unknown trackers near you. Now, with a new update, Google is taking it a step further, allowing Android users to pinpoint the exact location of these trackers.
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Google is rolling out two new tools for its Find My Device. The first, “Temporarily Pause Location,” is for use when you receive an unknown tracking alert. You can now pause location updates from your phone for up to 24 hours, preventing any detected unknown tracker from using your device’s location during that time.
The second, “Find Nearby,” is for when you’re having trouble seeing or hearing your tracker, helping you locate it. By tapping on the notification for an unknown tracker, you’ll be able to view a map showing where the tracker was last seen with you. From there, you can play a sound to help you locate it (and don’t worry, its owner won’t be notified). If that doesn’t work, the “Find Nearby” feature connects your phone to the tracker via Bluetooth, showing a shape that fills in as you get closer.
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This tool works just like Google's feature for finding trackers and devices you own, but with the added benefit of not needing your own tracker or using Find My Device. As with the original notifications feature, any device running Android 6.0 or later can safely handle unknown Bluetooth trackers.
“Find Nearby” looks like the final piece of the puzzle to combat Bluetooth tracker misuse, something Apple has already addressed with Precision Finding for AirTags. In May 2024, both Apple and Google collaborated to develop a common standard that helps users locate unknown Bluetooth trackers, regardless of whether they’re on Android or iOS . This followed the launch of Google’s Find My Device network just a month earlier in April.
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The ability to pinpoint the exact location of an unknown tracker is a solid upgrade to Google's Find My Device network. It certainly enhances security and helps limit the potential misuse of trackers, which, let's be honest, are otherwise very handy little tools.
Source: phonearena
