Google Android internal beta version device search function exposed to support search network and vehicle platform

Google said that it is preparing to upgrade the “find my device” system by introducing crowdsourced data to obtain the ability to anonymously find lost devices with the help of other Android devices.

Under normal circumstances, before releasing an application or related updates to the public, Google usually conducts internal testing in a “Dogfooding” phase. And this week, someone broke the news about an early version of the new feature of “Find My Device“.

With the help of the JEB Decompiler decompiler tool, 9to5Google was able to disassemble and analyze the APK installation package of Google’s “Find My Device” application of version 2.4.043_df.  Considering that this is a preview version that is not released to the public, the functions and UI design of the official version may still undergo major changes.  

Google official device search application
Google official device search application

In fact, as early as June, foreign media have noticed that Google is developing content related to the “hunting network”. With the support of the crowdsourcing network, this system can be used to better find users’ lost Android devices. 

Prior to this, Apple’s Find My network and AirTags smart tracker have attracted considerable attention. The feature that Google installs by default on every Android device is also expected to welcome more volunteers.

After analyzing the code, 9to5Google found many text tags related to “spot”:  

It can be seen that after completing the settings in the device search app, any Android phone or tablet that is marked as missing can be collected by the Bluetooth wireless connection of other Android devices that happen to pass through, and reported to the crowdsourced finder network:  

By submitting lost and found information anonymously, the owner can receive corresponding notifications through the “Find My Device” service without revealing the identity of the volunteer information collector.  

If the owner is already within the signal coverage of the lost device, you can also ring to further locate it.  

Another feature of the new version of the software is the ability to “share” ownership of the device with others, which is quite practical for corporate customers.  

In addition, for large families with multiple members, the device sharing function can also facilitate finding Android mobile devices such as tablets.  

Finally, the new version of the Android “Find My Device” service can also cover the usage scenarios of the Android Auto vehicle platform.  

Although the service mainly relies on a smartphone paired with Android Automotive, after the vehicle is stolen, users will also be able to encrypt the vehicle through the “Find My Device” application to protect personal data and related settings.  

Even if the vehicle is temporarily offline, the related settings will be locked the next time it goes online, and the user can choose to remotely delete personal data and custom settings (you can log in to your Google account to perform related operations).

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