Imagine this: you’ve lost your phone, but Google will soon release a Find My Device app just like the iPhone’s ‘Find my’ feature to keep track of your devices – even if they’re offline. There is a new privacy-centric framework in the latest version of the December 2022 Play System, and it seems like this could be hinting toward the release of a Find My Device feature for Android devices.Just because you can do something, should you? Samsung thinks so. Its second experimentally screened phone taps into its hardware R&D and production clout to offer something not many other companies can make.
However, it must be noted that Google already has its ‘Find My Device’ app which helps you locate your lost Android phone or tablet, or Wear OS watch. In order to find, lock, or erase data, Google collects certain information. This is a useful feature, but the loophole is that it requires an active internet connection to find your lost Android device. With the update, this will be corrected.
According to a Google Update patch note from December 2022, “Find My Device now supports encrypted last known location reporting for Android devices using a new privacy-focused framework.” The statement implies that a connection to the internet is not required to use the feature.
Android’s find my device feature: how to use it
Sign in to your Google Account at android.com/find.
Select your profile if you have multiple profiles. If you have more than one phone, click the lost phone at the top of the screen.
A notification is then sent to the lost phone.
The map will also show you where the lost phone is located. Please note that the location is approximate.
The last known location, if available, will be shown if the device cannot be found.
By clicking on Enable lock and erase, you can do what you want with the data.
Even if your phone is set to silent or vibrate, you can play sound, which will ring your phone at full volume for 5 minutes.
