Google is introducing a new feature to help people find unknown trackers that might be nearby. Previously, users only received alerts if an unknown Bluetooth tracker was following them. Now, with this update, Android users can also locate those trackers.
This new feature includes two helpful tools for tracking devices that are compatible with Google’s Find My Device. The first tool, called "Temporarily Pause Location," allows you to stop your phone from sharing its location with any trackers for 24 hours after you receive a notification about an unknown tracker. The second tool, "Find Nearby," helps you locate the tracker, even if it’s hidden or hard to find.
When you click on the notification about an unknown tracker, you’ll see a map showing where the tracker was last seen near you. You can also play a sound to help locate it, and Google assures that the tracker’s owner will not be notified when you do this. If you can't find it that way, the "Find Nearby" tool will connect your phone to the tracker using Bluetooth and guide you closer to it with a visual indicator.
This feature works similarly to what Google already provides for tracking devices you own, but you don’t need to have your own tracker or use Find My Device to use it. Any phone with Android 6.0 and newer can effectively handle notifications about unknown Bluetooth trackers.
By enhancing the "Find Nearby" tool, Google is taking significant steps to reduce the misuse of Bluetooth trackers. This move follows a partnership between Google and Apple, which introduced a shared standard for detecting unknown Bluetooth trackers for both Android and iOS users back in May 2024, after Google launched its Find My Device network in April.
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