Android 15 Will Allow You To Find Devices Even When Powered Off

Google I/O 2024 is set to showcase the launch of the Android 15 which is expected to come with several upgrades and improvements. Among these, one notable feature that Android users have been waiting for is Find My Device. According to Android Police, Google is bringing a Powered Off Finder API to its Find My Device network which will allow users to track their phones even when switched off.

Find Your Phone Even When it’s Off

With Android 15’s offline tracking feature, Google plans to build a tracking network similar to Apple’s Find My which relies on “Bluetooth beacons.” Bluetooth beacons are short signals transmitted by devices after short intervals that nearby devices can pick. This means that with billions of Android devices globally, a network like this could create a precise location grid.

However, locating a powered-off device isn’t easy and to overcome this challenge Google’s idea is to pre-record these signals and store them in the Bluetooth controller’s memory before the phone goes down. Even in a no-power state, the Bluetooth controller can continue transmitting these identification signals allowing you to track your location at all times.

Which Devices Could Debut With Offline Tracking?

Tracking offline devices requires specific hardware which means that not all devices will be compatible with it. According to reports, the update to Find My Device could potentially roll out to Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro while older models like the Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel Fold will potentially lack this feature. The official debut of the offline tracking capability is expected with the Google Pixel 9 which will be coming later this year.

This would make sense as the feature would to some level rely on the upgraded Find My Device network announced back at Google I/O 2023 which is still in the works. Despite Google stating “it would arrive later this summer” they had to push back the release as Google and Apple collaborated to come up with a solution to unwanted locating tracking.

Although Google already offers unknown tracker alerts that can detect Bluetooth trackers, including AirTags, iOS doesn’t have something similar. As of yet, Apple devices can detect AirTags but are unable to detect trackers that aren’t a part of Apple’s Find My network.

Even with Android 15 bringing the API and the Pixel 9 series potentially having the required hardware, we still need the upgraded Find My Device network to be widely available for the feature to work effectively.

A Major Improvement to Current Tracking Systems

Thanks to iOS 15’s Find My feature, iPhones hold a slight edge over Android allowing users to find their lost iPhone even when switched off. While Samsung Galaxy devices offer a similar feature to SmartThings Find, it still lacks the offline tracking capability users have been waiting for. However, Google’s plan to introduce a feature to track devices without any internet connection can level the field.