Where’s Waldo? Google item tracking is hopeless these days

On paper, Google’s lost item tracking network had everything it could, not only replacing various incompatible item trackers – Tile, Samsung and others – but also dethroning Apple’s AirTags by connecting the entire Android ecosystem to help you find your lost keys , luggage, wallets and pets.

With an estimated installed base of over a billion smartphones, you’ll only really lose track of your stuff in very remote, disconnected places in the world, right? Well, that didn’t happen…

“Blame it on Apple”

The network was announced during the Google I/O 2023 keynote, alongside a partnership with Apple’s Find My team to warn against tracker harassment via iOS and Android. It was then promised that it would hit store shelves “in the coming months.” By September, Nextpit had spoken to some device brands who explained that the network was indefinitely delayed while they waited for Apple to roll out its share of the common set of anti-stalking features, which ultimately rolled out in May 2024.

The rationale for the anti-stalking feature was clever: although Google and Apple’s networks would not be compatible, each could detect the other’s trackers to notify users of a possible stalking device. Some have complained that this feature prevents the item tracker from being used to locate stolen items, but that was never the original intent.

Treating early adopters as guinea pigs

Google announced that the Find My Device network would launch on April 8, 2024, and item trackers from Pebblebee and Chipolo would launch in May, after these devices were announced almost a year earlier.

However, although Google has promised that hundreds of millions of devices (or more) will be connected to the network, the necessary system update is apparently not widely available. Many updated test devices still have no way to enable (or disable) Bluetooth tracking, but we found that pairing the item tracker installed/activated the feature without updating, suggesting a server-side option.

To make matters worse, Google has opted for a vague default option that only works “Only with network in high-traffic areas.” This means that an item tracker that has only been pinged from one unknown phone will not appear on the owner’s app/website. While Google cites the distinction it makes on its network as a privacy feature, we don’t recall ever seeing complaints about Apple, Samsung, or Tile counting on just one red flag observation.

The result is a weak network of devices with a lot of blind spots, which is the exact opposite of what an Android-based tracking network could provide.

Google answers (but not really)

To understand the reasons for this poor launch, Nextpit asked questions of both Chipolo and Google. Chipolo indicated that there are currently issues with the implementation of the tracking network that are beyond their control and recommended contacting Google.

We asked Google to clarify a number of reported issues with its lost item trackers, trying to confirm whether they are related to a default system option and whether there are simply a small number of phones on the market that have the required feature.

To which Nextpit received a rather general response:

Find My Device Google prioritizes your safety with multi-layered security that can sometimes impact finding your Bluetooth tracker. To allow your device to locate lost devices in low-traffic areas without “default aggregation,” set the Find My Device network setting to “networked in all areas.” The effectiveness of the Find My Device network will continue to improve as users are registered on the network and agree to the “net in all areas” setting. As the new Find My Device network develops, we will continually improve it to balance user experience with security.

If the default setting doesn’t work in low-traffic areas, it can really prevent stalking, especially when combined with unknown tracker alerts. However, the fact that even the implementation of this mode is not yet widespread makes us question the timing of the launch of the network, which has only limited coverage even in public places.

Don’t get us wrong, the potential of the Find My Device network is still unbeatable, even with its rather sparse feature set – no reverse location option, location history, or advanced tracking features like UWB, the latter two apparently in the works, according to 9to5Google.

Still, after being blamed on Apple for delaying the network for almost a year, keeping partner manufacturers waiting almost all of the time, and being unable to sell finished products, and launching with such poor coverage, Google should have waited a little longer before announcing that its network has been launched and avoid confusing users and partners with almost useless accessories.