TECHWEEK
Powered Off Finding will allow you to save the location in the Bluetooth chip’s memory and transfer it even if the device is turned off.
Briefly about the news:
- Android 15 will come with a new API that allows you to find devices even when they are turned off, but this will require special hardware support.
- It is assumed that the Pixel 8 already has everything necessary for this API to work, and the feature itself will be introduced in the Pixel 9.
- The update to Android 15 will most likely be available this October with the release of the Pixel 9 series, and the presentation of the new OS will take place at Google I/O in May.
Android 15 is expected to come with many new and exciting features. One of them is Powered Off Finding. As the name suggests, this feature will allow you to find devices even when they are turned off. However, to use this feature, the smartphone must have the appropriate hardware capabilities. It turns out that the Pixel 8 series already has these capabilities, and they will also come to the Pixel 9, which will be released this year.
The Find My Device network relies on Android devices to essentially act as Bluetooth beacons. Other nearby Android gadgets that are part of this network and within the coverage area of the broadcasting device can receive the beacon signal. Receiving devices then encrypt the transmitter’s location and upload it to Google’s server. When the device is turned off, its Bluetooth module stops receiving power and does not work. Because of this, the gadget cannot transmit signals, which means the smartphone can no longer be detected using nearby Android devices. Google wants to make the device store location data in the Bluetooth controller’s memory in advance and continue to broadcast this information.
Of course, this will require special hardware that will allow the Bluetooth controller to remain on even when the device is turned off. In other words, the smartphone must have a battery that allows this controller to function. The Pixel 9 will have this feature, but the Pixel 8 series will also be able to support this feature when updated to Android 15. As for the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series smartphones, they will most likely be deprived of this feature. It is unclear whether this will be a hardware limitation or a software block.
Once Powered Off Finding is up and running, enabling it is easy. To do this, you need to enable Bluetooth, GPS and any of the available networks in the Find My Device settings, as shown in the screenshots above. Android 15 will most likely be unveiled at Google I/O in May. The operating system will debut with the Pixel 9 series.
