Google wants to equip Android with a detector of Bluetooth trackers

According to our colleagues from the 9To5Google site, the Mountain View company is currently working on a Bluetooth tracker detector integrated directly into Android. Apple’s AirTag and Tile are mentioned in particular in the manufacturer’s research.

For several years now, more and more manufacturers have entered the Bluetooth tracker market, small beacons to hang on his bag or other to consult his position in real time. Popularized by Tile, Apple then entered the arena with the AirTag, followed by Samsung with the Galaxy SmartTag or Oppo, which also offers its version equipped with Ultra Wide Band.

Only, these devices were quickly diverted for criminal or dubious purposes, like those car thieves who used AirTags to track their targets or even this fake AirTag developed to spy on iPhone users. To try to remedy the situation, Apple has also launched an Android application to flush out spy trackers.

Google wants to give Android a Bluetooth tracker detector

But obviously, it was not enough for Google. As our colleagues from the 9To5Google site report, the Mountain View firm has been working since mid-March on the integration of a Bluetooth tracker detector directly into Android. This feature will be implemented in Google Play services, making it compatible with many devices, both recent and old.

In the latest version 22.12.13 of Google Play Services, one can find references to “unfamiliar device alerts” and to a “unfamiliar beacon detected notification” for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons. In addition, there are then three tags that refer directly to AirTags and Tiles. Visibly and once an unknown tracker is identified by your Android smartphone, it will be possible to ring it to locate it more easily.

Google, however, states that it “you may not be able to ring the tag if its ID has changed recently”. For the moment, it is impossible to know when this system will be launched, and several gray areas remain concerning its operation: will the user have to initiate scans manually or will the system work in the background like what Apple offers on iPhones? One thing is certain, it would be a good idea for Google, Apple, Tile, Oppo, Samsung and the other brands that sell Bluetooth trackers work hand in hand to improve the efficiency of Google’s system.