Google finally starts rolling out Find My Device for Android to rival Find My from Apple
Almost a year after it was first announced, Google is finally rolling out its offline Find My Device service for Android devices.
All but identical to Apple's Find My network, Google's offering not only makes it possible to track the location of Android handsets, but also includes support for third-party AirTag-style trackers. While the rollout appears to have started, for now it is only a beta; a full launch is imminent, however.
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Google has not officially announced the availability of Find My Device, but it has been spotted in the latest beta version of Android. A software detective who specializes in unearthing secrets in Google apps, AssembleDebug, was the first to make the discovery in Google Play Service beta version 24.12.14, but the fact that some people with this update installed are seeing references to Find My Device while others don’t suggests that it is still a limited beta rollout to a small subset of users.
AssembleDebug shared the news and screen shots on X:
Further screenshots have been shared by Mishaal Rahman:
Originally announced at Google I/O 2023, Find My Device works in very much the same way as the Find My network so beloved by Apple users. Last year's announcement was meant to be followed by a summer 2023 launch, but Google decided to delay things while it worked on anti-stalking technology in conjunction with Apple.
Working with Bluetooth, the Find My Device networks allows for the tracking of devices even when they are not online. With Android having a significantly larger userbase than iOS, Find My Device has the potential to be a much wider-reaching -- and therefore more useful -- system than Apple's Find My network.