Google Find My Device Network Upgrades Are Key: Sharing And Automotive
Both Apple and Google have helpful phone, tablet, and computer-finding networks in play right now – but they aren't created equal. In a bit of a teardown of an app this week, the Google "Find My Device" app and system indicate there'll be a relatively major upgrade coming to Android devices soon. In addition to expanding the ways in which a user can find a lost device, this upgrade looks to drop in on smart vehicle systems, creating what might be future smart vehicle's greatest boon.Recently a report from 9to5Google revealed a bit of a teardown this week showing the Google Find My Device app in dogfood mode. This means the features we're seeing here might never make their way to the final build – but they're certainly in testing. This was the second in a line of updates where crowdsourcing appeared as a major part of the equation in Find My Device's future.
One interesting bit added to this latest build is the word "spot." It's unlikely Google would change the name of their Find My Device network, but a codename "spot" suggests they're giving enough attention to new features that they need to call them out with a new codename. At the same time, Spot would be a pretty cute name for an app that's meant to be a friendly seeker of hidden items – like a keen-nosed doggy. It's likely a coincidence that this dogfed version of the app includes said element that is sometimes associated with a friendly family pet.
The latest dogfed version of Find My Device adds the long-awaited "share" of devices. Share Device will be helpful for families with devices that are shared with children during the day and used by parents at night, or devices that are lent out to individuals for short periods of time. The sharing of a device makes it ever-so-slightly more likely that a lost device would be spotted, as all owners agree to be part of the same Find My Device network.
One part of the latest round of update text includes: "When the device is with you, you implicitly share your location with its co-owners."
The same dogfed app includes information about Vehicle Data. Users will be able to locate vehicles that've been logged in to their Google account. This won't work for every single vehicle that works with a Google login, but with Android Automotive, users could potentially lock their profile the same as they would for any tablet or smartphone.
Android Automotive doesn't (currently) control any major vehicle functions, so this won't be the sort of remote kill switch desired by European authorities, but it COULD potentially allow a user to locate their vehicle if it's been stolen and a thief hasn't thought to remove the user account from the vehicle's infotainment system.
Take a peek at the GMC Hummer EV video above to see what Android Automotive was capable of in around May of 2021. This was shown during Google I/O 2021 – does it all look like the right direction to you?