Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
1–10 of 13 posts
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#2[deleted]
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#3Post inspired by "Lost my phone at the office. Claude suggested tracking Bluetooth signal strength" 07.aug.2026 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49215786 215 comments ?
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#4I thought unless an android or iPhone is beaconing, it only broadcasts ble on device wake?
Maybe I'm misremembering, but for example my esphome proxies in HA will show nothing for ages at night while my phone isn't being interacted with.
If the phone is lost, it's probably not super awake lol
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#5Now turn it into a pervert-glasses detector and tracker
Make your phone alert when one walks into a room within several meters
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#6Weirdly Apple seems to have something like this built-in for finding an apple TV remote - but the same flow doesn't appear to be launchable for any other device
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#7Weirdly Apple seems to have something like this built-in for finding an apple TV remote - but the same flow doesn't appear to be launchable for any other device
It works for newer AirTags as well, this isn't BLE based but Ultra Wideband.
That's an entirely different technology, and if you look at it from an RF lens, a highly impressive one.
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#820 years ago I meant to write something like this, but so friends could find each other nearby in places like clubs.
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#9Now turn it into a pervert-glasses detector and tracker Make your phone alert when one walks into a room within several meters
[deleted]
Re: Findphone: Locate a nearby Bluetooth device by signal strength
#10Bluetooth now has something that does this more accurately on a protocol level: https://www.bluetooth.com/learn-about-bluetooth/feature-enha...