Google Updates Lost Android Device Tracking with Crowdsourced Bluetooth, Raising Some Privacy Concerns
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Google is rolling out an updated Find My Device network that can locate offline or powered off Android devices using crowdsourced Bluetooth tracking.
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The new network works by having nearby Android devices scan and share the locations of lost devices in an end-to-end encrypted manner.
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While useful, the crowdsourced tracking raises some privacy concerns that users can opt out of.
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To disable the tracking, go to Find My Device settings and turn off "Find your offline devices" or choose "Without network".
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There are options to keep offline finding without crowdsourcing, by periodically pinging device locations to Google instead.