Android's AirTag Competitor Gears Up For Launch, Thanks To iOS Release (arstechnica.com) 17
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Will Google ever launch its "Find My" network? The Android ecosystem was supposed to have its own version of Apple's AirTags by now. Google has had a crowd-sourced device-tracking network sitting dormant on 3 billion Android phones since December 2022. Partners have been ready to go with Bluetooth tag hardware since May 2023! This was all supposed to launch a year ago, but Google has been in a holding pattern. The good news is we're finally seeing some progress after a year of silence. The reason for Google's lengthy delay is actually Apple. A week before Google's partners announced their Android network Bluetooth tags, Google and Apple jointly announced a standard to detect "unknown" Bluetooth trackers and show users alerts if their phone thinks they're being stalked. Since you can constantly see an AirTag's location, they can be used for stalking by just covertly slipping one into a bag or car; nobody wants that, so everyone's favorite mobile duopoly is teaming up.
Google did its half of this partnership and rolled out AirTag detection in July 2023. At the same time, Google also announced: "We've made the decision to hold the rollout of the Find My Device network until Apple has implemented protections for iOS." Surely Apple would be burning the midnight oil to launch iOS Android tag detection as soon as possible so that Google could start competing with AirTags. It looks like iOS 17.5 is the magic version Google is waiting for. The first beta was released to testers recently, and 9to5Mac recently spotted strings for detecting "unwanted" non-Apple tracking devices that were suddenly following you around. This 17.5 update still needs to ship, and the expectation is sometime in May. That would be 11 months after Google's release. [...]
With the impending iOS release, Google seems to be getting its ducks in a row as well. 9to5Google has a screenshot of the new Find My Device settings page that is appearing for some users, which gives them a chance to opt out of the anonymous tracking network. That report also mentions that some users received an email Thursday of an impending tracking network launch, saying: "You'll get a notification on your Android devices when this feature is turned on in 3 days. Until then, you can opt out of the network through Find My Device on the web." The vast majority of Android users have not gotten this email, though, suggesting maybe it was a mistake. It's very weird to announce a launch in "days remaining" rather than just saying what date something will launch, and this email went out Thursday, which would mean a bizarre Sunday launch when everyone is off for the weekend.
Google did its half of this partnership and rolled out AirTag detection in July 2023. At the same time, Google also announced: "We've made the decision to hold the rollout of the Find My Device network until Apple has implemented protections for iOS." Surely Apple would be burning the midnight oil to launch iOS Android tag detection as soon as possible so that Google could start competing with AirTags. It looks like iOS 17.5 is the magic version Google is waiting for. The first beta was released to testers recently, and 9to5Mac recently spotted strings for detecting "unwanted" non-Apple tracking devices that were suddenly following you around. This 17.5 update still needs to ship, and the expectation is sometime in May. That would be 11 months after Google's release. [...]
With the impending iOS release, Google seems to be getting its ducks in a row as well. 9to5Google has a screenshot of the new Find My Device settings page that is appearing for some users, which gives them a chance to opt out of the anonymous tracking network. That report also mentions that some users received an email Thursday of an impending tracking network launch, saying: "You'll get a notification on your Android devices when this feature is turned on in 3 days. Until then, you can opt out of the network through Find My Device on the web." The vast majority of Android users have not gotten this email, though, suggesting maybe it was a mistake. It's very weird to announce a launch in "days remaining" rather than just saying what date something will launch, and this email went out Thursday, which would mean a bizarre Sunday launch when everyone is off for the weekend.
Does Android track AirTags then? (Score:1)
Didn't see this mentioned in the summary, when support for this launches does this mean Android will also warn you if an AirTag is tracking you? Which would mean it helps with the recognition network being larger for both tracking devices.
Or has Android already supported detecting AirTags tracking?
Re: (Score:2)
Didn't see this mentioned in the summary, when support for this launches does this mean Android will also warn you if an AirTag is tracking you? Which would mean it helps with the recognition network being larger for both tracking devices.
Or has Android already supported detecting AirTags tracking?
On my S23, it's under settings > safety and emergency > unknown tracker alerts.
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Got it, thanks - good to know!
I guess since it considers it an "unknown tracker" it would only warn you about it, not feed back to Apple information about that AirTag location.
Is this a feature we need? (Score:2)
So I put a tag in my childâ(TM)s knapsack in case they get lost or (worst case) abducted
Now the criminal will get a warning saying heâ(TM)s being tracked by a nearby tag?
Surely thereâ(TM)s a way to protect all interests here?
Re:Is this a feature we need? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm convinced they don't want people using these things as anti-theft devices because they don't want them to be associated with vigilante justice. The problem is though, unless you live somewhere with an overabundance of very strong earthquakes, the primary reason something isn't where you last left it, is because someone else took it.
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Government and private companies want consumers to have the least information and the least options. Case in point:
Auto Industry TV Ads Claim Right to Repair Benefits 'Sexual Predators'
https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/... [reddit.com]
Re: (Score:2)
I'm convinced they don't want people using these things as anti-theft devices because they don't want them to be associated with vigilante justice. The problem is though, unless you live somewhere with an overabundance of very strong earthquakes, the primary reason something isn't where you last left it, is because someone else took it.
Apparently these have been used recently to assist with car theft. They tag your car when it's safe to do so, say at the grocery store parking lot. Then they watch your location for a while to see if the car is ever left somewhere secluded. That's when they come and collect it.
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Yep. A device that indicates it's got a tracker to nearby thieves is 100% useless: they will find and remove or disable the tracker and keep the device. Likewise, to inhibit kidnapping.
I can't conceive a single use this has other than "I'm forgetful and don't know where my keys are". It's just not useful for what most people will want to use it for.
You can get the mechanisms necessary to track someone's vehicle for as little as about $25 and $5/month - and this has been true for a long time. From that, you
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I can't conceive a single use this has other than "I'm forgetful and don't know where my keys are". It's just not useful for what most people will want to use it for.
Still fine for tracking your lost luggage, nobody is going to be monitoring that for tracking, the airlines can't even do it themselves.
Make it as useful as possible for tracking things, and as useless as possible for tracking people. That is the ideal. Things are not going to be checking if they are tracked, only people will.
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> Surely thereâ(TM)s a way to protect all interests here?
"Surely there is a way to eat my cake and have it too."
Re: Is this a feature we need? (Score:1)
How hard would it be for a parent to put an airbag in their kid's bag, and then tell the kids phone "Bluetooth ID cuz is known, ignore that one".
Market demographic: aging boomers? (Score:3)
Google and Apple jointly announced a standard to detect "unknown" Bluetooth trackers and show users alerts if their phone thinks they're being stalked.
A fact which renders these trackers completely useless as anti-theft devices. Now they're really only good for scatterbrained folks who can't remember that they left their dog at Walmart.
I would've assumed that if the manufacturers of tracking devices made activation contingent upon being linked to an account with verified billing information, that would basically be a good enough deterrent against misuse. Just pop up a big red warning message when activating that your information will be provided to the authorities if you use the device for an unlawful purpose. But nope, can't do that, so we're stuck with things that only have a few very niche use cases if you're not the kind of person who is always misplacing their car keys, such as if you travel by air frequently and are particularly unlucky with airlines losing your luggage.
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Not at all (Score:1)
A fact which renders these trackers completely useless as anti-theft devices
Not really, even if a thief is alerted something is being tracked if they can't find the tracker they will throw out the object they stole... which you can then recover. and also potentially get video evidence from around where it was dumped to ID the thief if they still have something from your backpack...
I have a hidden compartment in my backpack where I often put cash so I very much would be happy to recover even just the empty b
Usefulness (Score:2)
My friend put AirTags in his bags and stroller when he flew to Europe last summer, which came in handy when they shipped all his kid's stuff to the other side of the country. He pulled up to the lost luggage counter knowing which storage room his stroller and luggage were in before they were even scanned in by the airport's tracking system. They were put on the next plane to Europe and caught up with him later that evening.