The much-anticipated Find My Device network from Google is now live.

After making teases about it at last year’s I/O conference, Google has now unveiled its eagerly anticipated Find My Device network. The solution, which has basic functionality comparable to that of Apple and Tile’s services, uses a crowdsourced network of over a billion Android smartphones to assist users in finding misplaced devices. Android users in the US and Canada may already download it; a worldwide release is scheduled for the near future.

Once loaded, users may find compatible Android tablets and phones using this app. At your order, the gadget will start ringing and show you where they are on a map. The objects can be offline, but this map data still functions. If the battery on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro devices runs entirely flat, they will show up on the map. That seems like it would be really useful.

Although commonplace things don’t now have the technology, that will change shortly. In May, Pebblebee and Chipolo Bluetooth tracker tags will be incorporated into the Find My Device app. Users will be able to find almost anything with this, including wallets, purses, vehicle keys, and, ideally, straying cats. The next generation of tags is being developed exclusively for the network.

Pebblebee offers compact cards for wallets, tags, and clips. In late May or early June, they start to appear on store shelves. Android-compatible versions of Chipolo’s One Point and Card Point trackers will be available in May. According to Google, other trackers—including those produced by Motorola and Eufy—will be released later this year.

Nest smart home devices are also integrated with Google’s Find My Device service. The Find My Device app can help you locate misplaced items in your house by comparing their position to that of pre-existing Nest devices. This ought to make it easier to reclaim them by offering a “simple reference point.”

Lastly, there’s a clever function that allows you to notify others of an item’s position so that loved ones may watch over priceless possessions. People will be able to “easily split and defeat if something goes cutting,” according to Google.

On Android 9 and later smartphones, the new Find My Device tracking feature is functional. Since that OS was released in 2018, a large number of individuals will be able to use this service. Regarding items that are compatible beyond Android smartphones and Bluetooth tags, the business reports that the next software upgrades will enable interaction with the whole line of JBL and Sony headphones.

Naturally, there are the customary privacy issues with this type of activity. The Verge reports that Google claims customers may utilize a web interface to opt out of the service if they are unhappy. According to reports, Google postponed the technology until after Apple added tracking safeguards to iOS in response to worries about stalking. In light of this, both businesses declared their collaboration to create industry standards to combat the improper use of tracking devices last year. New anti-stalking safeguards have been included by Apple in iOS 17.5, which is now in beta.