Google is already notifying early users of the launch of its device search network, similar to that of the iPhone.
There are many reasons to choose between an Android mobile or an iPhone mobile ; It largely depends on our preferences, although it is true that in some aspects comparisons are not possible. For example, for years Apple has offered a feature that simply wasn’t available on Android: advanced device search .
Android already has a device search function, but it has a huge limitation: it only works if the device is turned on. That is because it is the mobile phone itself that connects to the Internet and tries to ‘call’ with its location; At the same time it is turned off, or the connection is lost, this function is useless.
The search function on iPhones works differently. Basically, Apple has created a gigantic network , made up of all the devices it has sold in the last decade, which can communicate with each other to report their location; so we can find our iPhone, AirPods or iPad even if they are turned off and offline, looking at their last location registered by another device.
Android wins the best of the iPhone
Last year, Google confirmed that it had finally developed something similar, a new “Find My Device” feature that relies on a network of devices; However, since then the company has said absolutely nothing about its implementation and when users could start using it to find their devices.
According to 9to5Google , the wait is almost over. Google would already be sending the first emails to users informing them that the search network is going to be launched “soon.” Although no specific date is given, Google states that the network will be available “in three days”, so the launch would occur on Sunday, April 7, or more likely, Monday, April 8 .
The new device search function will be the basis of the new range of AirTag-style trackers , now compatible with Android phones; These small locators can be carried on your keys, purse or suitcase and allow you to track the lost object even on the other side of the world, something that is not possible with conventional trackers that use Bluetooth to broadcast its location.
In fact, AirTags were apparently the main reason for the Android system’s lag. After it was discovered that these trackers could be used to track people without their consent, Google and Apple reached an agreement to create a standard that allows mobile phones to notify users that they have a tracker nearby.
However, Apple has taken longer than expected to implement this standard, despite the fact that it was launched in December 2023; In turn, Google would have delayed the launch of its network until the arrival of iOS 17.5, which would finally have this technology integrated.
