Google’s Find My Device app could get ultra-wideband (UWB) and augmented reality (AR) features, 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 using Bluetooth. Both of these features are speculated to bring an upgrade, enabling accurate device tracking. According to the report, the hints of the features were spotted while stripping the APK of the Android app.
New features Find my device
A report by Android Authority, in collaboration with tipster Assemble Debug, suggests that mentions of UWB features were spotted in the APK teardown of Find My Device app version 3.1.078-1. UWBAdapter libraries are reported to be found in application code. This feature is speculated to bring precision finding to the app.
Apple, one of Google’s biggest competitors, already uses UWB technology in its AirTag, allowing users to precisely locate lost or stolen items. It can provide directions leading to the device, sometimes only a few feet, helping to pinpoint it. However, Google is not using this technology yet, but that could change soon.
Along with UWB, the report also suggests that AR technology could also be integrated into the Find My Device app. The app code mentions support for ARCore – Google’s software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to create augmented reality experiences. According to Google, it uses device sensors and APIs to interact with information.
However, the disclosures reportedly do not reveal exactly how both of these technologies will be used to improve the Find My Device service. The report speculates that UWB could pinpoint a lost device, and then the user could turn on the device’s camera to get directions using AR layers.
Both of these features are reportedly still in development with no information on their release timeline. It is speculated that Google may or may not introduce these features, but if it does, it will likely arrive first with a future beta version of the app, allowing select users to test its functions.
