google has revealed the launch date of Android’s Find My Device network

Ben Schoon and Kyle Bradshaw | Apr 4 2024 - 6:20 am PT

After the feature’s settings began rolling out to select Android owners, google has sent an email that includes a launch date for the Find My Device network.

Formally announced last year, google’s Find My Device network is set to leverage the massive population of Android devices to help locate missing phones, headphones, and trackers. However, the network was delayed while google and Apple worked together on an industry standard that would help ensure this location technology isn’t used to maliciously track someone else’s movements, something that was an issue for Android users following Apple’s launch of AirTag in 2021.

To the benefit of iPhone owners, google held back the launch of its network so Apple could apply this protection in iOS, something that appears to have finally happened in iOS 17.5 (despite the standard having been ready since December 2023).

This week, things started looking like the Find My Device network would launch quite soon. All of the settings began appearing for those who enrolled in the google Play Services beta. However, the feature itself did not seem to work.

Starting on Thursday morning, google sent out an email blast to some users informing them that the Find My Device network would be launching soon. The company started by explaining the core advantages of the network:

With the new Find My Device network, you’ll be able to locate your devices even if they’re offline. You can also find any compatible Fast Pair accessories when they’re disconnected from your device. This includes compatible earbuds and headphones, and trackers that you can attach to your wallet, keys, or bike.

More importantly, in the closing paragraph of the email, google clarifies that the network will launch “in three days.” That puts the Find My Device network launch on Sunday, April 7 or, more likely, Monday, April 8. That’s just short of a year after the initial announcement.

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.

That said, google doesn’t appear to have shared this release date anywhere else, and only one member of our team received this email. It’s possible that the email was sent out erroneously and that the included date may be wrong, but given the context of the settings rollout and iOS developments, it seems like we’re finally ready to go.

A link included in the email allows users to opt out of the network capabilities early. However, this appears to be account-based. It worked for the member of our team who received the email, but not for others who had not yet gotten the same email from google. Still, that’s an important thing for google to mention, given that the network appears to be turned on by default. When choosing a setting, google notes that this applies to all Android devices linked to that google account.