Google defends ‘default aggregation’ of Find My Device networks

From the beginning, Google has prioritized privacy protections for Find My Device (FMD), including delaying the launch until the iPhone received unknown tracker alerts. Google opted for “aggregation by default” to the detriment of Find My Device performance, and it’s apparently doubling down on that decision.

The default network setting for Find My Device is “Only connected in high-traffic areas.” Many Android devices need to detect an object before its location is shared. So far, users have found this ineffective in real-world use, as the trackers are not located.

In a new support article, Google says that “default aggregation” is “a key differentiator for the Find My Device network compared to other search networks.” At launch, Google said it was a “first-of-its-kind security protection.” The goal is to make it harder to “be unintentionally tracked in a private location like your home.”

This joins other safeguards such as “not sharing crowdsourced location reports with Find My Device when it’s near a user’s home” (if the address is saved in their Google account), throttling bandwidth, and limiting location reports/requests and tracking alerts.

Google acknowledges that this “can sometimes impact the detection of Bluetooth trackers, especially in low-traffic areas,” and once again encourages users to enable “Connect in all areas” (from Settings > Google > Find My Device > Find Your Devices Offline). This setting means that one device is enough to send the location of a tracker it finds.

As more people choose the “All Area Network” option, the ability of the Find My Device network to locate lost items in less trafficked areas will continue to improve.

At this stage, it doesn’t appear that Google plans to change this default setting, which is good in theory, but for now it negatively impacts the usability of the product (tracking) and gives the FMD network a bad reputation at launch.

Looking ahead, Google told us last month that it was “actively working to make improvements to the way the Find My Device network works that will improve the speed and ability to locate lost items in the coming weeks.” It also hints at how the network will continue to grow and accuracy will improve as more people join, with “over a billion Android devices eligible to participate.” Let’s hope that’s enough.