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After a year-long delay, Google has finally turned on the Android Find My Device network. This network, which is currently limited to Google Play Services beta testers, provides offline device tracking for smartphones, tablets, and small AirTag-like trackers.
UPDATE: 2025-08-10 09:27 EST BY ANDREW HEINZMAN
An April 8th Launch Date?
Google is emailing some customers to announce that the Find My Device network launches on April 8th, per9to5Google. The scope of this launch is unclear. It may be a full launch for all Android users, though it could simply be a beta test in anticipation of Android 15. We’ve reached out to Google for additional details.
The Android Find My Device network was first announcedat I/O 2023. It’s essentially the Android equivalent ofApple’s Find My network—participating devices use a low-power Bluetooth signal to detect, long, and report the locations of other devices. If you disable mobile connectivity on your smartphone and accidentally leave it on a bus, for example, you’ll still be able to track its location based on anonymized, automatic reporting from other Android devices.
Android’s dedicated Find My Device network is also a boon to third-party,AirTags-like tracking devices. In the past, companies like Tile had to build custom tracking networks that were relatively small and unreliable. But now, these brands can piggyback off Android’s network, which consists of far more users.
Google initially planned to launch its Find My Device network in the summer of 2023. But the companychose to delaythis launch while it worked with Apple to develop new anti-stalking measures. These anti-stalking technologies recently appeared in Apple’s newiOS 17.5 betaand will eventually roll out to all iPhone users.
Now, Google has quietly turned on its Find My Device network. AsAssembleDebugreports, this feature is automatically enabled and isn’t hidden behind any flags. However, it requires the Google Play Services beta, so it isn’t available to the average user. This appears to be a staggered, server-side rollout. It isn’t specific to any version of the Google Play Services beta, and it may take a few days to reach all eligible beta testers.
If I had to guess, Google will probably reintroduce Find My Device atI/O 2024and launch the feature with Android 15. If we’re lucky, this launch will be accompanied by a wave of compatible AirTag-like tracking devices. Some manufacturers, includingChipolo, jumped the gun in 2023 and already sell Find My Device-enabled trackers.
Google may also use the Find My Device launch to explain its new anti-stalking technology. In any case, we’re sure to hear a lot about Bluetooth trackers and stalking over the next year.
To reiterate, the Android Find My Device network is currently limited to Play Services beta testers. This feature will probably launch alongside Android 15, though it may be held up by the iOS 17.5 release schedule. Things are still up in the air, but we’re clearly closing in on a Find My Device launch.
