Google's Find My Device app may have ultra-wideband (UWB) and augmented reality (AR) capabilities, making it easier to locate lost or stolen devices, according to a report. The Find My Device service helps Android users locate lost devices by scanning nearby devices via Bluetooth. Both features are speculated to be getting an update, allowing them to accurately find devices. According to the report, hints of the features were detected during an APK teardown of the Android app.
New Find My Device features
A report by Android Authority, in collaboration with whistleblower Assemble Debug, suggested that mentions of UWB features were detected in an APK teardown of the app version 3.1.078-1 Find My Device. It reports that UWBAdapter libraries were found in the application code. This feature is speculated to bring precision search to the app.
Apple, one of Google's biggest competitors, already uses UWB technology in its AirTag, which allows users to accurately find lost or stolen items. It can provide directions to the device, sometimes as close as a few meters, helping to identify it. However, Google doesn't use this technology yet, but that could change soon.
Alongside UWB, the report also suggested that AR technology may also be integrated into the Find My Device app. The app's code mentioned support for ARCore, Google's software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to create augmented reality experiences. According to Google, it uses the device's sensors and APIs to interact with the information.
However, the findings don't reveal exactly how these two technologies will be used to improve Find My Device. The report speculates that UWB can precisely locate the lost device, and then the user could turn on the device's camera to get directions using AR overlays.
Both of these features are said to be still in development with no information on their release timeline. It is speculated that Google may or may not introduce these features, but if they do, it is likely that they will first come with a future beta version of the app, allowing select users to test its functionalities.
