How Android keeps you and your devices safe
As you add more devices to your household, we're here to ensure that Android helps simplify your life while keeping you safe every step of the way.
A new Find My Device experience
Currently, Find My Device helps you locate misplaced devices that have location capabilities and are connected to the internet — but we know that keeping track of every device in your life is getting more complicated. We’ve heard from you that being able to locate devices that are offline or that don’t have location capabilities would make keeping track of your devices more seamless. That’s why later this summer, we're launching a refreshed Find My Device experience that makes it easier than ever to locate your devices and belongings quickly and securely by ringing compatible devices or viewing their location on a map in the app – even when they’re offline. The new Find My Device network will harness over a billion Android devices across the world to help you locate your missing belongings like headphones, tracker tags, or even your phone via Bluetooth proximity.
Attach Bluetooth trackers from Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee to your everyday objects — like your keys, wallets, or luggage to make them findable via the Find My Device network. And keep your ears open for updates to your existing Pixel Buds, as well as headphones from Sony and JBL, that will join the Find My Device ecosystem soon.
Most importantly, the Find My Device network was built with user privacy as a key priority. Location data crowdsourced from the network is end-to-end encrypted, which ensures Google can’t see or use it for any other purposes. We will be sharing more about all the privacy safeguards we’ve built into the Find My Device network to prioritize user safety ahead of our feature launch.
Unknown tracker alerts on Android
Bluetooth trackers provide a simple and convenient way to track your daily devices, but also bring the potential of unwanted tracking. This is why later this summer we’re launching unknown tracker alerts on Android — which automatically notifies you if your phone determines that an unknown tracker is moving with you. You can view the device on a map to understand where it has been seen traveling with you, and play a sound on the tracker to help locate it. If you're still concerned about your safety, you'll be able to view instructions to physically disable the tracker and stop it from updating its location. We’ve also built in manual scanning so users can proactively search for unknown trackers that are near them. Unknown tracker alerts work with widely used Bluetooth trackers, including Apple AirTags and all trackers compatible with the Find My Device network.
It’s important that users get warned about unwanted tracking no matter what phone they’re using and that any tracker manufacturer can support this important protection. That’s why last week we helped publish a new draft industry specification outlining how Bluetooth tracker manufacturers can develop safer trackers that are compatible with detection and alerts across Android and iOS platforms to help combat unwanted tracking.
Safety continues to be a top priority for Android. We can’t wait to share more about how these new enhancements and features simplify your life and work to help keep you and your devices safe.