TL;DR
- Google says Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro owners can now find their phones even if they’re switched off.
- This is thanks to the Find My Device network for Android and “specialized” hardware in the Pixel phones.
Google has just launched the Find My Device network for Android, allowing users to tap into the vast network of Android phones to locate their devices and Bluetooth-enabled accessories. Fortunately, Google has revealed that Pixel 8 owners are getting a major perk as a result.
The search giant confirmed that Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro owners can find their phones via the Find My Device network even if the phone is switched off or the battery has died.
Google says the Pixel 8 series phones have this capability due to “specialized Pixel hardware,” but didn’t elaborate on this tech. Nevertheless, tipster Kamila Wojciechowska previously touched on this capability last year, saying it requires hardware support to keep the phone’s Bluetooth chip enabled at all times.
We’re not sure if other phones have the required hardware support too, but we hope to see the capability on future Android phones. This would go a long way to solving a major pain point for Android device tracking, as thieves commonly turn off phones after stealing them. It would also make life easier in general, as it means you can still find your phone if it runs out of juice.
We’ve asked Google whether other Pixels and non-Pixel phones have the hardware required to support tracking while the device is off. We’ll update the article if/when the company gets back to us.
