Find My Device prepares a ‘compass’ for finding trackers, likely for UWB support

Ben Schoon | Sep 17 2024 - 7:40 am PT

Google’s rollout of the Find My Device network has been a bit less than ideal, but things are due to get better over time. One of the highly anticipated additions to Find My Device is support for UWB trackers, which the app appears to be preparing for with the addition of a “compass.”

About APK Insight: In this “APK Insight” post, we’ve decompiled the latest version of an application that Google uploaded to the Play Store. When we decompile these files (called APKs, in the case of Android apps), we’re able to see various lines of code within that hint at possible future features. Keep in mind that Google may or may not ever ship these features, and our interpretation of what they are may be imperfect. We’ll try to enable those that are closer to being finished, however, to show you how they’ll look in case that they do ship. With that in mind, read on.

In the latest version of the Find My Device app for Android, v3.1.148, Google has set the foundation for a new “compass” feature within the app. Strings show that the app will direct you to find a device using messages such as “Turn left,” “Turn right,” and “The device is behind you.”

Presumably, this will be used with UWB trackers alongside AR functionality that we reported was coming a few months ago.

<string name=”compass_view_back”>The device is behind you</string>

<string name=”compass_view_front”>Use the compass to find the device.</string>

<string name=”compass_view_left”>Turn left</string>

<string name=”compass_view_right”>Turn right</string>

Alternatively, the language and strings here leave the door open to this being an upgrade to existing functionality for finding trackers. The Find My Device app already has a UI for helping you narrow down where a normal Bluetooth tracker is, but it’s rather limited. In theory, this could be a more advanced version, but it’s much more likely this will be used for trackers equipped with UWB.

Unfortunately, even in our testing with the Moto Tag, this functionality is not yet live in any capacity.