Google says it is delaying the broad rollout of its Find My Device network function out of concern for personal safety because the industry standard it and Apple have developed isn’t nearly ready yet. “User safety and the prevention of unwanted location tracking is a top priority for Android,” Google’s Erik Kay stated in a blog post today. “At this time, we’ve decided to delay the Find My Device network rollout until Apple has implemented protections for iOS,” the statement reads.
Personal Safety Concerns
You must catch up. Back at its I/O 2023 keynote, Google disclosed plans to use millions of existing Android devices, compatible peripherals, and a new generation of Bluetooth item trackers to assist in finding your lost electronics. Google says it is delaying the broad rollout of its Find My Device function out of concern for personal safety because the industry standard it and Apple have developed isn’t nearly ready yet. “User safety and the prevention of unwanted location tracking is a top priority for Android,” Google’s Erik Kay stated in a blog post today.
“At this time, we’ve decided to delay the Find My Device network rollout until Apple has implemented protections for iOS,” the statement reads. You must catch up. Back at its I/O 2023 keynote, Google disclosed plans to use millions of existing Android devices, compatible peripherals, and a new generation of Bluetooth item trackers to assist in finding your lost electronics.
Unidentified Tracker Notifications
The goal stated in Apple and Google’s initial joint news release was to “release a production implementation of the specification for unwanted tracking alerts by the end of 2023 that will then be supported in future versions of iOS and Android.” So it’s possible that Google’s early summer estimate for the larger Find My Device network was too ambitious. Google has not provided a new launch date for the more robust monitoring network; in the interim, accessory manufacturer Chipolo has already had to postpone the release of its initial compatible trackers.
Speaking of unidentified tracker notifications, Google has announced that starting this month, many Android phones will start alerting users when an unidentified AirTag is found to be travelling with them and has been determined to have separated from its owner. In other words, you should be given a helpful heads-up if someone is attempting to covertly follow your location without your consent. This is a built-in, system-level prompt; unlike the one Apple previously supplied, it won’t call for the download of any other apps.
