Google can track Pixel 8 phones even if their battery is dead

Apparently Google can track Pixel 8s phones even after they run out of battery power, at least for a few hours. Colleagues noticed this 9to5google By configuring the feature on their unit: It’s not entirely clear when and how this new feature was implemented on devices — Google’s communication about it has been rather poor, simply saying it’s been active since April.

The Mountain View giant is working hard to deliver An effective and widespread localization network Like what Apple offers in its ecosystem. Obviously, the goal is to allow users to find their lost or stolen smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets.

It’s not hard to imagine why a smartphone without a battery is generally difficult to locate: if it has no power available, how does it send the signal that says “I’m here”? Google doesn’t go too deep into the technical explanation: it simply says it uses “Specialized pixel devices“, which makes the solution available to other manufacturers as well.

It’s safe to assume that Google doesn’t want to show the exact specifications of the technology too much because it will give the bad guys a free start: Knowledge is the first step towards taking countermeasure. Realistically, you can assume that there is a second emergency battery hidden somewhere in the smartphone, reserved only for the components that must remain powered for transmission. But this is just a guess, at least for now.

In any case, it’s pretty clear that dedicated hardware is needed: Google says it’s on board Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixel Buds Pro. In fact, the software update that enables the devices is already being distributed to the two smartphones; As for the Pixel Buds Pro, we’ll talk about that later. Google points out that for this to work, the user must take some precautions:

• Bluetooth and geolocation should be active when turned off.
• In the Find my device options, you must select one of these two modes:

  • With the grid only in areas with a high volume of use
  • With the network in all fields

(Updated on 9 May 2024 at 08:35)