The Google Pixel 9 series phones will be trackable even when they’re powered off. How? Well, thanks to a new ‘Powered Off Finder’ API that will be a part of the package.
The Google Pixel 9 series phones will be trackable even when they’re powered off
This API is coming as part of Android 15, based on a report from Android Police. It will require compatible hardware in order to work, though, and it’s safe to assume that the upcoming Pixel 9 devices will be able to take advantage of it.
That being said, we’re not really sure what type of hardware is required, but it’s possible that current-gen models will also get the feature, and the same goes for previous-gen Pixel phones. It remains to be seen. The feature could be tied to specific generations of Tensor chips, though.
If this feature sounds familiar, well, Apple already has it. It arrived with iOS 15, and all iPhones from iPhone 11 and up have it. Google’s will work rather similarly to Apple’s.
The phones will be able to send out Bluetooth beacons
So, how exactly will it work? The device will be able to send out Bluetooth beacons even when the phone is shut down. That will essentially make it possible to locate those phones, regardless if they’re powered on, off, or if they have battery juice left or not.
You may wonder how will the phone send out beacons without a battery charge. Well, even if your battery is fully depleted and the phone shuts down, traces of battery juice are still present. It may not have enough battery juice left to power the device, but sending out Bluetooth beacons is something else entirely.
Mishaal Rahman confirmed that UI support for Powered Off Finder was added in Android 14 QPR 1. That clearly hints that the feature is coming. The Google Play Services are also being prepared for the feature to be added.
Another thing worth noting is that 91Mobiles suggested that the feature could be called ‘Pixel Power-off Finder’, at least on Google’s Pixel smartphones.
2024-03-15 15:05:15