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Find My Device on Android

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291–300 of 332 posts

Re: Find My Device on Android

#291

>Locate your compatible Android phone and tablet by ringing them or viewing their location on a map in the app — even when they’re offline. And 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. Then they are not really offline or off are they? Bring back removable batteries in the phones.

Yeah, I'd like more details about this. If I can use it to find my phone in this state, other people can too.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#292

> 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?

Does this have any implications for "Airplane mode". Or the requirement to turn off your cell phone during takeoff.

You already don't have to turn your phone's Bluetooth off during takeoff, so, no, it shouldn't.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#293
post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> your phone doesn't have internet access > simply based on a BLE ping What if they disable Bluetooth? The linked open source find my device app uses cell network to both receive commands and for location.

On Apple's devices, you cannot disable that BLE broadcast. The same is true on the Pixel 8: https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/8/24123909/google-pixel-8-pr... . That's the whole point of this design, and fundamentally different than just having some app ping a server once in a while so long as it has network access.

Wow that's a serious privacy concern

Re: Find My Device on Android

#294
post #276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On Apple's devices, you cannot disable that BLE broadcast. The same is true on the Pixel 8: https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/8/24123909/google-pixel-8-pr... . That's the whole point of this design, and fundamentally different than just having some app ping a server once in a while so long as it has network access.

Even if you turn on airplane mode on the device?

Airplane mode doesn't turn Bluetooth or Wifi off at all on recent OS versions of Android or iOS.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#295
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was considering a Pixel 8a when it's released, now I'm not so sure. Not really keen on a mobile botnet.

IMHO if you cary around anything that contains a cellular modem you're fair game anyways.

If you need to worry about cellular tracking, you should either carry your phone in a faraday bag or carry a dumb phone whose battery can be taken out.

Re: Find My Device on Android

#296

Does anyone know of a good way to have an Android phone ring from another Android phone, without sharing all account access ? My wife keeps her phone on silent but loses it multiple times a day. We use the computer to make it ring using Find my Device, but it'd be a lot easier if I could just do it from my phone, which I can if I install the app and then add her Google account to the accounts on my phone, but then I…

You could try KDE Connect.

And use Tailscale to create a secure network

Re: Find My Device on Android

#297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you turn on airplane mode on the device?

Airplane mode doesn't turn Bluetooth or Wifi off at all on recent OS versions of Android or iOS.

really? Why did they even leave the feature in then?

Re: Find My Device on Android

#298

Does anyone know of a good way to have an Android phone ring from another Android phone, without sharing all account access ? My wife keeps her phone on silent but loses it multiple times a day. We use the computer to make it ring using Find my Device, but it'd be a lot easier if I could just do it from my phone, which I can if I install the app and then add her Google account to the accounts on my phone, but then I…

Maybe use MacroDroid to make the phone rings whenever it receives some specific SMS from your phone number.
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