There have been rumors that Google is developing a feature for its Find My Device service that would enable customers to track down their gadgets even while they are switched off. Pixel Power-off Finder is rumored to be arriving shortly, though it’s not clear if it’ll work with current Pixel smartphones or only the future Pixel 8.
An extensive network of Android handsets with Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, identifying tags like Apple’s AirTags, and even Google’s own tag dubbed “grogu,” was recently reported by 91 Mobiles. A new Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) definition called “hardware.google.bluetooth.power_off_finder” was reportedly included in the early source code for Android 14 supplied to OEMs in the Early Access Program.
This new function keeps the Finger Network alive even when the phone is shut off by transmitting keys to the Bluetooth chip ahead of time. This is analogous to the iPhone’s Find My function. Google’s goal in creating such a massive network of Android devices is to facilitate the recovery of misplaced or stolen gadgets. The Pixel Power-off Finder allows users to locate their gadgets in the event that they go misplaced even when they are powered down.
To sum up, Google is allegedly developing a new feature for its Find My Device service that will allow customers to track down their gadgets even while they are switched off. It is still unknown if this functionality will be made available on previously released Pixel devices or if it will be exclusive to the impending Pixel 8 model. Google’s goal in creating such a large network of Android devices is to make it simpler for people to track down and reclaim their misplaced devices.
