Google may use crowdsource network for Find My Device in Android

A beta of Google Play Services includes references to using devices such as smartphones for the Find My Device feature in Android. This indicates that Google, like Apple and Samsung, wants to set up a network with users’ devices.

The new version of Google Play Services says “Allow your phone to be used to locate your and others’ devices” and also includes a string that refers to a Find My Device network. XDA-Developers discovered that after a teardown.

Android’s current Find My Device feature works based on GPS and network connections. A device can be found if it is connected to, for example, a Wi-Fi network. Apple also uses users’ iPhones for its Find My network. That can be used to locate devices and AirTags. Samsung also uses this for its SmartTags.

The wording in Google Play Services seems to indicate that users can only use the crowdsource network for locating devices if they turn on the function and are therefore also part of it. Whether and when Google actually plans to introduce the feature is not yet known.