Summary
- A new Find My Watch setting spotted in development may allow Pixel Watch users to remotely locate, lock, and erase their device, even offline.
- Hardware requirements like Bluetooth Low Energy suggest the Pixel Watch 3 may be the first to support the feature, leaving existing Pixel Watch models behind.
- UWB support in Pixel Watch 3 and Find My Device network improvements aim to rival Apple’s tracking capabilities.
Google’s Find My Network, although weaker than Apple’s network for now, is going through constant improvements, with UWB support likely on the horizon.
As of right now, the network can track and locate Android phones and tablets and compatible Bluetooth trackers, including offerings from Chipolo and Pebblebee. For phones and tablets, the network can leverage other devices part of the network to enable tracking even when your device has been powered off, and to ensure privacy, location data is end-to-end encrypted, so only you or people you’ve shared access with can track lost phones or trackers.
Now, it appears that an update is paving the way for wearables to join the Find My Device party.
Related
Google working to make Find My Device network more reliable for tracking lost items
Improvements to the network will roll out soon
As shared by 9to5Google, the latest version of the Pixel Watch app (2.5.0.652251118) highlights an important change. As it stands now, Pixel Watch users are able to locate their wearable via Find My Device only when the watch is actively connected to its companion phone or if the watch has an active cellular connection. The new functionality, which might appear as a new Find My Watch setting, will make it possible for users to remotely locate their Pixel Watch, lock it to prevent unauthorized access, and even erase its data.
There’s a good chance that the functionality might require specific hardware in the wearable, like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for offline tracking, as found in the Pixel 8, prompting us to believe that the Pixel Watch 3 might be the first to support the feature.
On the other hand, the report suggests that the feature relies on an update on the Google Play Services’ side, which might suggest that the feature’s core functionality might be implemented through a software-side update.
The setting might appear as a toggle
Find My Watch
Allow to remotely locate, lock, and erase your watch, even when your watch is offline
When the functionality rolls out, users will likely have an option to toggle on/off the offline Find My Device functionality within a new Find My Watch setting, giving them control over opting into the network, and the associated battery woes.
Elsewhere, the Pixel Watch 3 is expected to offer UWB support, and the same appears to be on the horizon for the network. UWB support should offer a better tracking experience, especially indoors, with high-precision tracking to help you find your wearable. Pair that with offline tracking, and you have a robust Find My Network that might soon be able to stand up to Apple’s network.
Thanks: Armando
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Wear OS 5 is getting ready for UWB in new Android smartwatches
And the Pixel Watch 3 is the best candidate