Google says Android's Find My Device network is 4x faster, teases UWB 'very soon'

Google’s Find My Device network for Android started off slow, to say the least, but has been steadily improving. Now, we’ve finally got some numbers to back up those improvements, as Google has confirmed that the Find My Device network is 4x faster at finding items, and that “more” users have been changing the default privacy settings.

When the Find My Device network for Android first launched, it immediately became clear that it couldn’t compare to Apple or Samsung alternatives in terms of the speed at which trackers are found. One user infamously sent an AirTag and a Pebblebee tracker through the mail, only to see the Android tracker never be found at its final destination.

As we first noted in January of this year, though, Google has been making improvements. Tracking speed has been noticeably faster, with a Moto Tag we tested often being recognized and updated in an app more quickly than an AirTag. It’s still been inconsistent and there are plenty of other issues, but things have been moving in the right direction.

Google has since confirmed that, yes, things are getting better. Speaking to The Verge, Google says that the Find My Device network for Android is 4x faster than it was at launch. That’s specifically referring to items being found and updated within the FMD app, at least in Google’s internal testing.

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The improvements apparently come from “continuous algorithm and technical under-the-hood improvements.” Google specified that these improvements include changing the frequency and duration of Bluetooth scanning, making it easier for devices and trackers to talk to each other. Google also adds that “more” users are switching away from the default Find My Device privacy settings, allowing the network to work in “all areas” instead of just “high-traffic” locations. Google started showing users an in-app notice last year about how to change this setting, but “high-traffic” is still the default setting.

Google also mentioned that more information on UWB support is coming “very soon,” though it’s unclear if it’s actually about to roll out, or if Google is simply preparing to make further announcements. With Google I/O just around the corner, that seems like a perfect time. The Moto Tag remains the only FMD tracker with UWB hardware baked in.

That post from The Verge goes on to dive into a test of the Find My Device network up against Apple and Tile networks, and ends with the conclusion that “it’s pretty inarguable that Google’s Find My Device network still isn’t as good as Apple’s Find My at actually finding stuff,” noting that Google’s decision to make the network more private and less functional is the reason for that – something we also discussed last year – not the network’s actual performance.

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