Google is now rolling out unknown tracker alerts for Android devices. The idea is simple—if your phone detects that a Bluetooth tracker is “following” you, a warning will appear on your screen. This feature should discourage stalking, but technically speaking, it’s just a stopgap for the more advanced anti-stalking system that Google and Apple are currently developing.
The misuse of Bluetooth trackers used to be a niche topic. But with the launch of Apple’s AirTags, stalking became a hot issue. This is due to the AirTag’s use of the Find My network, which is powered by nearly every Apple product on the planet. If an AirTag is within range of any iPhone, its location can be tracked—Tile and other brands are much more limited in their tracking capabilities.
For its part, Apple launched the AirTags alongside an alert system. It recognized that stalking would be a problem from the start. But Apple neglected to protect Android users. Its AirTag-detectingAndroid apparrived several months after the AirTag launch, and because it isn’t built into the Android operating system, hardly anybody uses it.
The situation is improving, thankfully. During the I/O 2023 conference,Google and Apple announcedthat they are collaborating on an industry-standard detection system to protect people from Bluetooth tracker stalking. This system will be finalized by the end of 2023, according to the companies.
Note that Google’s new tracker alerts are not the result of this partnership. Instead, Google is implementing a stopgap while the new standard is finalized.
But I’d say that this is a pretty solid stopgap. If your Android device detects that a stray Bluetooth tracker may be following you, an alert will appear on your screen. You can then tap a button to play a sound through the tracker (so it’s easier to find), and your phone will guide you through a process to disable the tracker (usually by removing its battery).
Additionally, the Android alert will tell you to hold the tracker to your phone, which may reveal details about its owner. And your phone may show you a 48-hour history of the tracker’s known locations (so you can figure out when the tracker was placed in your bag, stuck to your car, etc).
Related:Families Can Finally Share AirTags This Fall
It may take a few weeks for this feature to reach your phone. Note that you’re able to conduct a manual tracker scan by entering the “Safety & Emergency” section of your Android settings. It should only take about 10 seconds to run a manual scan, so feel free to do so when leaving bars or other busy locations.
But there’s also some bad news. Google says that major updates to its Find My Device network are delayed. These updates, which were also announced at I/O 2023, will supposedly place the Android Find My Device network at parity with Apple’s Find My network. Google also intends to support third-party trackers in its Find My Device app.
