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Find My Device on Android

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Re: Find My Device on Android

#71

Post by mcsniff »

someplaceguy wrote: post #38
otachack wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One way is to support orgs like EFF that push for policy change to force Google and other powers-that-be to give you fine grain control.

So you're saying that it's not possible to do what I asked, currently. And judging by the other comments in this thread ATM (with one possible exception), nobody seems to care...

How you read "X is an option to try and stop this" as "it's not possible" is about as ridiculous as wanting other people to spoon-feed you a solution.

Stop using Google services if you don't want to be tracked by Google tracking services.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#72

Post by IncreasePosts »

ryandvm wrote: post #27
MarkusWandel wrote: post #19

Ironically, yesterday my wife couldn't find her phone while we were at a restaurant. Is it at home? Well, let's try this. Google it, go to http://android.com/find Ah, but it only shows devices logged into my account. Well, let's log into hers. Which required 2FA from... her device. Sooo useful.

Yeah, this seems like such an incredibly obvious oversight. Like... I know how it goes with fuzzy requirements, but who didn't nail down the acceptance criteria that the user should be able to trigger Find My Phone without 2FA.

So if someone steals my password, they can now find out exactly where I am? And factory reset my device now.

Perhaps some combination of no 2FA IF you are a trusted contact that I've specifically added to the account would be safer.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#73

Post by alephxyz »

wolverine876 wrote: post #46

> thanks to specialized Pixel hardware, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro owners will also be able to find their devices if they’re powered off or the battery is dead. This suggests there is separate hardware with its own power and network capabilities, designed for location tracking, designed to be always on. Is there a way to disable it?

Putting my tinfoil hat on, this explains why Google was okay adding a toggle to location access for apps on Android. They don't need your device to send them their location anymore, they'd only need you to be in range of an UWB or BLE device.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#74

Post by justsomehnguy »

wolverine876 wrote: post #52
CobrastanJorji wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same question here. I have to assume this would either work by the device sending out a last gasp "I'm about to die" GPS location call home (for finding it when it's far away), or else there's a mostly passive RFID-like thing in the phone that makes it findable by nearby devices (for finding it when it's somewhere in the house/car/office with you).

How much energy would be needed to power a minimal wireless network node, of some sufficient capability, for let's say 1 day? Any IoT devs out there?

Moto g30 without cell modem but with enabled WiFi easily gets two weeks of the runtime without much of display time.

My RAZR MAXX could sit for months on the one charge (with already busted battery) without any cell activity.

So if you don't need the display and a hungry wireless tech to keep on constantly you can have enough juice for days, even when the phone is no longer in the power profile to have a full run.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#75

Post by modeless »

sudosysgen wrote: post #63
modeless wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to this article you use Google's "Find My Device" app to find tags, not the manufacturer's app. Google's app needs to support UWB tags and display appropriate direction finding UI. Like Apple's has for years.

It doesn't have to, and you don't have to. There is zero reason why you can't just have the UWB direction finding UI in a different app, even should they not add the hook. The UI/UX change between map oriented passive direction finding from anywhere in the world and camera oriented UWB direction finding only when you're within range is very sharp. If it could eventually do it within the app that could be pretty neat,…

It is ridiculous for Google to release a new tag finding app today without UWB support and without even mentioning UWB at all as a future feature. Sure, Google could link to third party apps, but they're not. Sure, manufacturers could do it themselves, they could have done it three years ago, but they didn't and they still aren't. I'm asking why none of this happened. It's irrelevant whether someone theoretically could have done it or might do it later.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#76

Post by someplaceguy »

Onavo wrote: post #45

Will Google give up your location to the feds if they issue a broad area geolocation warrant?

Even Google has to comply with warrants. Even secret ones.

You should assume the location of your devices will be disclosed whenever the US gov has a plausible reason for requesting it, regardless of which part of the globe you live in.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#77

Post by Teever »

progbits wrote: post #64
MarkusWandel wrote: post #19

Ironically, yesterday my wife couldn't find her phone while we were at a restaurant. Is it at home? Well, let's try this. Google it, go to http://android.com/find Ah, but it only shows devices logged into my account. Well, let's log into hers. Which required 2FA from... her device. Sooo useful.

I understand your frustration, and device sharing is obviously a missing useful feature. But I absolutely don't want it to work without 2FA, and if your only 2FA is your phone you have other problems.

Why? Why not just have it let you know via a message pop up that location tracking is active?

If you don't get that message because you don't have your device that means you're not being tracked / are looking for your device and if you get that message because you have your device you've now been warned that someone has breached your account.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#78

Post by sudosysgen »

modeless wrote: post #75
sudosysgen wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It doesn't have to, and you don't have to. There is zero reason why you can't just have the UWB direction finding UI in a different app, even should they not add the hook. The UI/UX change between map oriented passive direction finding from anywhere in the world and camera oriented UWB direction finding only when you're within range is very sharp. If it could eventually do it within the app that could be pretty neat,…

It is ridiculous for Google to release a new tag finding app today without UWB support and without even mentioning UWB at all as a future feature. Sure, Google could link to third party apps, but they're not . Sure, manufacturers could do it themselves, they could have done it three years ago, but they didn't and they still aren't . I'm asking why none of this happened. It's irrelevant whether someone theoretically c…

But manufacturers have? Samsung tags have UWB and they work well. There are also Chinese UWB enabled trackers you can buy.

Other manufacturers like Pebblebee, Chipolo and Tile decided not to include it - neither on Android nor iOS. They could have added it for years now, they just decided not to. Chipolo says they think it's just not worth the tradeoff. I don't necessarily disagree - I rarely use it with my samsung tags or airtags, it's just more convenient to use sound 95% of the time. Only time I'll use it is if I'm afraid of waking someone up.

I could definitely see it being useful for people with hearing limitations, though.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#79

Post by godelski »

MarkusWandel wrote: post #19

Ironically, yesterday my wife couldn't find her phone while we were at a restaurant. Is it at home? Well, let's try this. Google it, go to http://android.com/find Ah, but it only shows devices logged into my account. Well, let's log into hers. Which required 2FA from... her device. Sooo useful.

  Just don't log out. Let us collect your data forever and at all times. No need to restart your computer, ever.

  You're dumb because you didn't create hard copy two factor backup codes! User error.
Some potential explanations by people who don't want to resolve this admittedly difficult problem to solve. I find these issues difficult when also considering security keys like Yubikey. Like you can't clone a yubikey and that's considered a feature not a bug. So what, you want me to have everything on a usbc device that barely pokes out of my laptop? That's very easy to lose. Fall off my keychain? I've had many usbs do that (__especially__ the small ones).

I am really happy that there are people doing security and making things more secure, but the truth is that usability is necessary too. The reason Signal is so great is not just because encryption, it is because my Grandma can use it. Not aware of any other encrypted text message system besides iMessage and WhatsApp that has that usability and those come with strings. I really think there needs to be something similar for MFA. Consider the user.

Edit: A possible suggestion for FindMyDevice is to have trusted users. That you can give your wife, friend, whatever permission to find your device without needing to sign into your account or any other permissions. This seems like a relatively obvious solution, is there something wrong with it? Google devs, can't you patch this in in a few weeks (or less? But we all know, bureaucracy exists)

Re: Find My Device on Android

#80

Post by modeless »

sudosysgen wrote: post #78
modeless wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is ridiculous for Google to release a new tag finding app today without UWB support and without even mentioning UWB at all as a future feature. Sure, Google could link to third party apps, but they're not . Sure, manufacturers could do it themselves, they could have done it three years ago, but they didn't and they still aren't . I'm asking why none of this happened. It's irrelevant whether someone theoretically c…

But manufacturers have? Samsung tags have UWB and they work well. There are also Chinese UWB enabled trackers you can buy. Other manufacturers like Pebblebee, Chipolo and Tile decided not to include it - neither on Android nor iOS. They could have added it for years now, they just decided not to. Chipolo says they think it's just not worth the tradeoff. I don't necessarily disagree - I rarely use it with my samsung t…

> There are also Chinese UWB enabled trackers you can buy.

Where can I buy a UWB tracker that supports direction finding on Pixel phones? I have looked and didn't find a single one. Or literally any other product of any kind with UWB that works on Pixel at all for any purpose, for that matter.

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