Google has expanded the functionality of its Find My Device app with a new location-sharing feature that enables Android users to share their real-time location with friends and family members. The enhancement arrives as part of the March Pixel Feature Drop, building upon Google’s recent security improvements to the Find My Device platform, which included the addition of biometric authentication.
The new capability allows users to share their live location through the Find My Device app by tapping a plus button, which then displays their position on a map view for selected contacts. Users maintain control over the sharing duration, with options including one-hour intervals, full-day sharing, or manual deactivation. The feature supports Google’s broader efforts to enhance location-based security, including the recent launch of Identity Check, which adds location-based biometric security for Android devices.
To maintain privacy awareness, the system sends regular notifications to individuals tracking a user’s location. These reminders ensure all parties remain informed about active location sharing. The feature integrates with Find My Device’s existing functionality for locating lost devices and compatible smart tags that can be attached to personal items. The enhancement builds upon Google’s unknown tracker alert system, introduced in 2023 to combat unwanted tracking.
“In the same app you use to find misplaced devices, you can coordinate a meetup with a friend or make sure a family member got home safely,” Google states.
The implementation includes several privacy safeguards, reflecting growing concerns about location data security and privacy. Users must manually initiate location sharing with specific individuals, and the system provides clear alerts when tracking is enabled. Additionally, Android’s technology can detect and help locate unknown tracking devices in the vicinity, addressing potential stalking concerns that have emerged with the proliferation of personal tracking devices.
The feature expands upon Find My Device’s core functionality while adding social coordination capabilities. It operates alongside the app’s existing ability to locate lost or stolen devices and track items equipped with compatible smart tags. The update represents a significant evolution of the platform, which has traditionally focused primarily on device security rather than social features.
Sources: TechRadar, Android Authority, MoneyControl, Android Headlines
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