What you need to know
- A new leak suggests Google if working on a "Find My Device" feature similar to Apple's version for iPhones.
- Pixel devices are rumored to see "Pixel Power-off Finder" as the feature's name, allowing users to find their phone even when it's off.
- Rumor has it this requires specific hardware retuning so the Bluetooth chip always remains on and it could come with the Pixel 8 series.
Losing your smartphone is never fun, and it looks like Google is working on a feature improvement to help calm our rapidly beating hearts.
Leaker Kuba Wojciechowski spilled some details about Google's new "Find My Device" network it's looking to craft for Android devices (via 91Mobiles). Allegedly, the new feature in question has the running name of "Pixel Power-off Finder" for Google-made phones, and will allow users to find their lost Android device even if it's turned off. The leaked source code apparently has a new Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) definition with the string "hardware.google.bluetooth.power_off_finder."
This string of code seems to suggest the device's Bluetooth chip will be kept on — so users can always find their device — due to precomputed Finger Network keys keeping it active. Pieces of the feature's code were apparently found in an early version of Android 14 shared with OEMs enrolled in the Early Access Program (EAP).
💦 Leak: Google is working on a device-finding feature for future Pixel phones that works even when the phone is turned off, akin to iPhones. More details: https://t.co/LkdexHCi0GApril 6, 2023
The leak states this feature would require hardware support to keep the Bluetooth chip active if the device is powered down. With the Pixel 8 in our sights for later this year, perhaps this is something consumers will be treated to with its hardware advancements, as it appears unclear if previous phones, like the Pixel 7 Pro, will have this.
This rumored feature is giving us Apple vibes with its own "Find My Device" for lost iPhones, which can also be located if the device is turned off. It's also suggested that Google is taking another page out of the Cupertino-based company's playbook by creating a vast network of Android device locator tags along with an AirTag-like locator codenamed "Grogu."
This device is rumored to include optional support for UWB (ultra-wideband connectivity), as well, something also spotted in recent FCC documents for the Pixel Tablet.
If this is the direction Google is moving with its next wave of Android products, hopefully, we'll hear more about this and the hardware capability at I/O 2023. The big event is scheduled for a little over a month away on May 10.
Google's Pixel 7 Pro is powered by the company's strong Tensor G2 chip for swift and powerful performance for all your apps and scrolling. The Pixel 7 Pro delivers an amazing array of cameras paired with an exciting pack of photo editing tools. If you're a fan of smart home devices, you can control everything from the palm of your hand, too.
