How do Google Find My Device/ Find Hub Tags work？

How do Google Find My Device/Find Hub Tags work？

As smart tags become more common in everyday life (from keys and wallets to luggage, pet collars, even children’s backpacks and expensive musical instruments) , Google also rolled out Android 14 in 2023, it has officially upgraded its location-based network from an early Find My Device, which was only available for Android devices, to a Find Hub ecosystem that supports third-party hardware. This upgrade not only allows ordinary users to track items more flexibly through the combination of“Phone + third-party tags”, but also breaks down the hardware barrier, it provides a low-cost channel for small and medium-sized hardware manufacturers to access the collaborative positioning network of 100 million Android devices without building their own positioning infrastructure.

This article will break down the working logic of Google Find My Tags (third-party tracking Tags linked to Find hubs) from concept definition, technical principle, privacy security, ecological practice to user practice, at the same time to answer users and manufacturers concerned about the core questions, including“My phone can be a relay” and“Tag power out how to do” and other high-frequency questions.

What is Google Find My Tags? (exactly)

Google Find My Tags isn’t a single product, but a collection of third-party tracking devices that conform to the Google Find Hub specification and have access to the Android co-location network. Such devices typically use Bluetooth low-power (BLE 5.0 and above) as the core transmission technology (some high-end models support ultra-wideband UWB) , “Off-line location” can be achieved through“Anonymous relays” on nearby Android 10 and higher devices, eventually displaying the“Last found” or real-time location of items on the user’s Find Hub App or web site (findmy.google.com) .

The core difference from Google’s native“Find My Device” and competitors such as Apple AirTag is this:

General workflow (high-level overview)

The location logic of Find My Tags can be simplified as“Broadcast Tags → Device Relay → Cloud Sync → user view”. The process and scenario details are as follows:

TAGS broadcast signal: Find My Tags continuously transmit Bluetooth low energy (BLE-RRB- broadcast packets with temporary dynaIDc ID (non-fixed device number) at a frequency of 1-5 seconds/time;UWB UWB is supported, when the distance from the phone is less than 10 meters, it will also send a synchronized nanosecond-level narrow pulse signal for high-precision positioning. Note: Ble broadcast distances can be up to 10-20 meters in open outdoor environments and 5-10 meters indoors with wall/metal screens.

Nearby devices receive and relay: nearby Android phones with Google Account, Bluetooth/location enabled, and Android 10 and above (auto-relay enabled by default) , a BLE broadcast of the tag is detected and anonymously recorded as“Current time (accurate to the second) + self-location (located by GPS/WI-FI/cellular network) + Tag Dynamic ID”, without relating the personal information of the relay phone user.

Upload data to the cloud: when a relay phone connects to Wi-Fi or mobile data (4G/5G) , it automatically reports encrypted tag-location-time packets to the Google Cloud. The whole process happens quietly in the background, no user awareness and no extra traffic (a single packet is about 100-200 bytes in size) .

User query location: the owner of the tag opens the Find Hub App or the web site, and the system matches and decrypts the tag-related packets from the cloud using the private key associated with the user’s account, finally, the map displays the“Last known location of the tag” and the corresponding timestamp (e.g. “2024-10-0114:30, XX cafe entrance”) .

Close-in precision search (optional) : if both the Tag and the phone support UWB (e.g. Moto Tag + Xiaomi 14) , when the distance between the two is within 0.5-10 meters, the phone’s screen displays a real-time directional arrow (“3 meters in front, 5 degrees to the right”) and a centimeter-level distance (“1.8 meters”) , allowing for quick navigation even if the label is in a drawer or backpack.

Hardware and transmission: Ble, UWB and Fast Pair

The ability to Find My Tags relies on three core technologies-BLE for basic connectivity and broadcasting, Fast Pair for eco-compatibility, and UWB for near-field accuracy. The three technologies have a clear division of labor, and together they form the“Communication-location-adaptation” system of tags.

1. Bluetooth low power (BLE)ーー basic communication and low power core

Ble (Bluetooth Low Energy) is the“Lifeblood” of Find My Tags. Most of the current Tags use BLE 5.0 and above, and perform two core functions: “Signal broadcast” and“Close interaction”:

Advertisement: the Tag sends Advertisement packets at a rate of 1-5 seconds/time, containing: 1 temporary dynamic ID (generated locally by the tag and updated every 15 minutes to avoid tracking by third parties) ; 2 tag status (such as percentage of power remaining, whether in“Lost mode”) ; 3 Fast Pair service ID (for quick pairing) . Ble 5.0 and above version of the theoretical transmission distance up to 100 meters, but the actual environment (such as walls, metal) , daily use of 5-20 meters.

Close interaction: when the user’s phone is close to the tag (usually within 10 meters) and paired, the phone can establish a stable BLE connection with the tag, to achieve three major functions: 1 play Bell (Beep Frequency 2000-3000Hz, volume 80-90db, in a noisy environment can be heard) ; 2 view battery power (accurate to 10% gradient, such as“Remaining 70%”) ; Change the radio frequency (users can set the App to either“Power saver”(5 seconds per time) or“High frequency”(1 second per time) to balance battery life and location frequency) .

Power advantage: the BLE’s low-power feature (operating current is only 10-50 ΜA) allows the label to run on a CR2032 button battery (~ 220 mah) for 6-12 months. If the tag supports“Sleep mode”(i.e. automatically lowers the radio frequency to 30 seconds per shot if you haven’t moved for a long time) , the battery life can be extended to 18 months (i.e. in Chipolo One Point sleep mode) .

Almost all Find My Tags are based on Ble, which is the key to“Low-cost ($10-$30 per tag hardware) , long battery life,” and a core technology choice for vendors lowering the barrier to entry.

2. Fast Pair/“Works with Android”-the threshold for ecological compatibility

To avoid third-party Tag and Android compatibility issues such as“Pairing failure” and“Relay failure,” Google created the Fast Pair version 3.0 and Tag Locator specifications, this is a“Required course” for the tag to connect to the Find Hub Network, and a guarantee of a“Seamless experience” for the user:

Key Technical Requirements: 1ble broadcast package must include“Fast Pair Service UUID (0000FE2C-0000-1000-8000-00805F9B34FB)”, to ensure that the phone can identify the tag type; 2 support anonymous dynamic ID generation and update (at least every 15 minutes) ; Comply with Google’s privacy data encryption standards (e.g. ECC) ; have low-power alerts (when the power is less than 20% , the radio packet must carry a low-power flag to trigger an App alert) ; 5 support for“Lost Mode”(after receiving instructions from the App, increase the broadcast frequency to 1 second/time, to facilitate the relay) .

User experience benefits: the spec-compliant tag carries the“Works with Android” official badge, which brings three benefits: 1 auto-pop-up pairing: the user places the tag closer to the phone (≤10 cm) , no manual access to Bluetooth settings, the phone will automatically pop-up matching pop-up window (such as“Found ‘My Keys’ tab, is it a match?”) , the whole process can be completed by clicking, less than 3 seconds; Automatic account registration: paired tags automatically associate the Google account with the phone, syncing it to the Find Hub network without additional logins. Cross-device synchronization: when a user replaces an Android phone, just sign in to the same Google account, and the Find Hub App will automatically synchronize all the paired tags without the need to re-pair.

Manufacturers Access Path: manufacturers need to complete the four-step Process: 1 registered Google Developers account, in the“Google Play Console” to apply for“Find Hub device authentication” rights; 2 develop hardware according to Locator Tag Specification V2.1(such as integrated BLE 5.0 module, embedded dynamic ID generation algorithm, adaptive encryption function) , and pass Fast Pair 3.0 compatibility test; Submit the prototype to Google Authorized Labs, functional tests (e.g. , pairing success rate, relay stability) , privacy security tests (e.g. , data encryption effectiveness) , battery life tests (e.g. , battery life at different broadcast frequencies) ; With the“Works with Android” badge, the product will be ready for mass production and will automatically connect to the Find Hub Network, enabling worldwide relay positioning.

In short, the Fast Pair specification is the“Android ecosystem’s common language for tracking tags,” ensuring“Consistent pairing and usage across different brands of tags on any Android phone.”.

3. Ultra-wideband (UWB)-near-field“Radar” precision positioning (optional)

Ultra-wideband (UWB) is complementary to BLE, specifically addressing pain points like“I know it’s nearby, but I can’t find it”(e.g. , “The key is in the house, but I don’t know if it’s in the drawer or in the crack of the couch”, “The wallet is in my backpack, but I can’t find it after rummaging around”) , currently only high-end tags are supported:

How It Works: UWB doesn’t rely on Bluetooth or WI-FI for signal strength ranging. Instead, it works by sending nanosecond (10-9 second) narrow pulse signals at frequencies of 6-8 ghz, using the“Time of Flight” method to accurately measure the“Round-trip Time of the signal from the tag to the phone”, the angle of the signal is calculated in combination with the phone’s built-in multi-antenna array (usually four to six antennas) , the result is a real-time“Direction + centimeter-level distance” guide. For example, when the tag is 2 meters in front of the phone, the phone displays“2.0 meters in front, 8 ° to the left” and updates the direction and distance in real time as the user moves, with an accuracy error of ≤10 cm.

Applicable scene: the distance is usually within 0.5-10 meters, and the accuracy is the highest when there is no occlusion (such as indoor open living room and bedroom) , it is mainly used in three types of scenarios: 1 indoor close-up search (such as looking for the key in the drawer, the wallet in the wardrobe) ; 2 precise positioning of small areas (such as positioning lipstick and headphones in a backpack) ; 3. Assist in locating items (e.g. , “When the tag is near the designated location (e.g. , Key Box) , the App will say ‘correct location found’”) . Note: If there is serious shielding (such as the label is wrapped in metal box, through the bearing wall) , UWB signal will be greatly attenuated, accuracy may drop to 1-2 meters, or even unable to locate.

Hardware Requirements: both the tag and the phone need to support UWB, and compatible with the UWB chip solution: 1 Mobile Phone: currently support UWB Android phone including Google Pixel 6 and above (with NXP SR100T UWB chip) , Samsung Galaxy S21 and above (with Decawave DW3000 chip) , Xiaomi 12 Ultra and above (with NXP SR100T chip) , Oppo Find x 5 Pro and above (with Decawave DW3000 chip) , etc. , users can check whether the“UWB module” is included in“Settings → about phone → hardware information”; 2 tags: Find Hub-enabled UWB tags include Motorola Moto Tag (Decawave DW3000, IP67 waterproof) , Samsung SmartTag 2UWB (compatible with Samsung“SmartThings Find” and Google Find Hub Dual Network) , Belkin Soundform Tag Uwb (NXP SR100T, music playback) .

Although UWB has high accuracy, there are also shortcomings: 1) the high cost of hardware (a UWB chip costs about $5-$10, which is 3-5 times that of a BLE chip) , resulting in UWB tag prices typically between $50 and $100, 2 has a shorter battery life (about 1-5 Ma of UWB operating current, 20-50 times that of BLE) , and even with a CR2032 battery, it only lasts 3-6 months, more frequent battery changes.

Off-line discovery (Crowdsourced relay)-key innovations and technical details

Offline discovery (also known as“Crowdsourcing relay”) is a key innovation that differentiates Find My Tags from traditional anti-lost devices such as early bluetooth anti-lost Tags-it enables“Passive Tags without SIM cards and without internet access”, by relaying the location information to the owner thousands of miles away, the range of the device is greatly expanded.

1. Why offline discovery?

The positioning logic of the traditional anti-dropping device is“Direct connection between the phone and the tag”, which has two major limitations: 1 short distance: Bluetooth direct connection distance is usually less than 20 meters, 2, once the tag is out of range (e.g. , the user has left his keys on the subway and is already off the train) , the tag becomes“Lost” and can not be located. 2 rely on the user’s phone: only the user’s own phone can detect the tag, if the user isn’t near the tag, they can’t pass on the location, even if someone else is passing by.

Find My Tags is essentially a“Passive device with no internet access”(no SIM card, no WI-FI, no active upload location) , so it relies on a“Trunk network of all the surrounding Android devices”– essentially turning every Android phone into a“Temporary location base station,” as long as it’s tagged where the Android devices are, there’s a chance they’ll be“Spotted” and report their location. For example, if user a leaves his key at the mall, and user B walks by with his Android phone 10 minutes later, user B’s phone will automatically relay the location of the key tag, user a opens the Find Hub App to see that“The key was last found in the women’s wear section on the 1st floor of the XX mall” for quick retrieval.

How it works (technical teardown)

The core of offline discovery is“Dynamic ID + encrypted relay + cloud matching”, which guarantees privacy throughout the process. The steps are as follows:

Tag-generated Dynamic ID: the tag does not carry a fixed device serial number (e. g. MAC address) each time it sends a BLE broadcast packet, instead, a“Temporary dynamic ID” is generated locally by the built-in chip, based on a preset algorithm (such as a combination of the tag’s hardware key and the current timestamp) and automatically updated every 15 minutes, moreover, the dynamic ID formats of different tags are not related, and even if the third party intercepts the ID, it can not identify the tag ownership or trace the trajectory.

Relay phone reception and encryption: nearby Android phones with“Find Hub relay” enabled (Android 10 and above, login to Google account, Bluetooth/location services enabled, automatic relay enabled by default, users can turn it off manually) , bLE scans for the dynamic ID of the tag, and immediately pack“Dynamic ID + the phone’s current position (provided by the phone’s positioning module, the accuracy depends on the positioning method: GPS 5-10 meters, Wi-fi 10-30 meters, cellular 50-100 meters) + the receiving time (accurate to the second)”, the packets are then encrypted using Google’s pre-distributed“Relay public key,” which is centrally managed by Google and built into all Android devices and is used only for encryption and can not be decrypted.

Anonymous reporting to the cloud: when the relay phone is connected to the network (WI-FI/4G/5G) , encrypted packets are anonymously reported to the Google Find Hub cloud via“Google Secure Channel”(TLS 1.3 encryption) . There are three things to keep in mind here: the packet doesn’t contain any identifying information about the relay phone (e.g. phone number, Google Account ID, device serial number) , so Google can’t correlate“Which phone relays which tag” The whole process is done in the background, without pop-ups or notifications. The single packet size is only 100-200 bytes, even if 100 tags are relayed every day, it consumes only 0.6-1.2 MB of data per month, which is negligible.

Owner decrypts the view: when the owner opens the Find Hub App or web App, the App first sends a“List of tags associated with the user account”(containing the“Root key” of the tag) to the cloud, the cloud matches the“Encrypted packets associated with these tags” according to the list and returns the packet to the app; The App then decrypts the packet using the user’s“Private key” stored locally (paired with the relay public key, held only by the user’s device and not uploaded to the cloud) , and eventually resolves that the tag was“Found by a phone at a certain location at a certain time”, it then displays the“Last known location” and timestamp on the map.

3. Key constraints

Although offline discovery is powerful, it is influenced by the environment and hardware. There are three major limitations, and users need to be objective:

Relay-dependent device density: in areas with a high concentration of Android devices (e.g. , shopping malls, subways, office buildings, schools) , the probability of tags being found is extremely high, location updates can happen every 1-5 minutes (every time an Android phone passes by) , but in areas where devices are scarce (e.g. , suburbs, countryside, mountains) , if there are no Android devices within 1 km of you, tags can be“Lost”, leaving location information at the“Last known location”; extreme environments (such as basements, elevators, tunnels) can be blocked by signal, even with Android devices, even Android devices may not be able to receive tag broadcasts, greatly reducing relay efficiency.

Non-real-time location: offline discovery shows“Where the tag was last found by the relay phone” rather than in real time-for example, the tag was relayed by an Android phone in a mall at 14:00 and taken to the park at 14:05, but there are no Android devices in the park, so the App will keep displaying“14:00, XX mall” until a new relay phone finds the tag; only if the tag is directly connected (within BLE range) to the user’s phone, real-time location (updated every 1-5 minutes) .

Effect of tag status: if the tag is in“Low power mode”(5 seconds per broadcast) or“Sleep mode”(30 seconds per broadcast) , the probability of being detected by a relay phone is reduced (by a factor of 5-30 compared to the“High-frequency mode” of 1 second per scan) ; if the battery of the tag is depleted (by less than 5%) , the broadcast stops, completely undetected, only“Last known location” is displayed.

Privacy and security (what users care about most)

At the heart of location technologies is the trade-off between convenience and privacy security-if privacy isn’t in place, tags can be used maliciously to track people (e.g. , “Stalking”) . Therefore, Google has designed a multi-layer protection mechanism in the Find Hub system. The core principles are“Data encryption, anonymous relay, and user control” to eliminate the risk of abuse from the technical level.

1. Data Encryption: full link protection from broadcast to cloud

Google uses“End-to-end encryption plus layered encryption” to ensure that“Only the tag owner can see the location, and no one else (including relay users, Google) can”:

Broadcast Layer Encryption: The Dynamic ID sent by the tag has no fixed correlation information and is automatically updated every 15 minutes, nor is it possible to: 1) identify the owner of the tag (the ID is not directly related to the user’s account) ; 2) track the tag’s trajectory (the ID at different times is irregular and can not be linked) ; Forged tags (dynamic ID generation requires the tag’s built-in hardware key, which is uncrackable) .

Relay layer encryption: the“ID + Location + Time” packet reported by the relay phone, it uses the P-256 curve of ECC, a high-strength encryption algorithm approved by global security agencies with a key length of just 256 bits (equivalent to RSA 3072-bit security) , it is also faster and uses fewer resources. The“Relay public key” used for encryption is centrally distributed by Google, and is built into all Android devices, but only the device of the tag owner holds the“Private key”(paired with the public key-RRB- , sO: 1 relay phones can’t decrypt the packets they report (only encrypt and upload) ; 2 other users can’t decrypt the packets (without a corresponding private key) ; 3 Google can’t decrypt the packets (without storing a private key) .

Cloud Layer Encryption: Google Cloud only stores encrypted packets, the following information is not stored: 1 the association between the tag owner and the Dynamic ID (the association is managed locally by the user device, matched by the“Root key”, and not uploaded to the cloud) ; 2 relay the identity of the phone (data packets without device identification) ; 3 tag history (only store the last 30 days of encrypted data packets, expired automatically deleted) . Even if there is a data breach in the cloud, the hackers will only get“Meaningless encrypted strings” that do not match the“Label-owner-location” to ensure data security.

2. Anti-Stalking alerts: prevent malicious stalking

To eliminate the risk of people tracking you through Find My Tags, Android 12 and above includes“Unknown Tracker Alerts” and continuously improves sensitivity as the system updates:

Trigger condition: the system uses the“Position change + time correlation” dual judgment, when the following two conditions are detected, this triggers alerts: 1 Find My Tags that are not owned by the user (i.e. Tags that are not associated with the user’s Google Account) that have been moving with the user for more than 24 hours (i.e. Tags that are always with the user from home to work)  2 tags that are not owned by the user enter the user’s“Private Place”(the system determines by location history that a user’s home or office must be in that location for more than 4 hours for more than 7 consecutive days) . To avoid false positives, the system will rule out“Brief contact in public” situations (e.g. temporary proximity to a tag on the subway for ≤1 hour) .

Notifications and actions: When a notification is triggered, the system notifies the user in two ways: The Notification Bar on the phone pops up an alert (e.g. , “Unknown tracking tag found, may be following you”) , and the notification bar on the phone (e.g. , click on the notification to go to the details page. 2 If the phone is in silent mode, it will trigger a vibrating alert (lasting 3 seconds) to make sure users don’t miss it. Once the user is on the details page, they can perform three actions: 1 Let the tag play the beep: click“Make the tag sound” and the Unknown Tag Will Beep at 90 decibels (10 seconds, repeatable) , help the user find the tag (e.g. in the bag, car)  2 view label information: display label“Last found”(to help users determine whether to be tracked) , “Device Model”(if the label support, display manufacturer and model) ; Disable or report: if you identify a malicious tag, click“Disable Tag”(send a command to stop the tag from broadcasting and can not be relayed) , or“Report tag”(submit tag information to Google to track malicious users) .

Sensitivity optimization: Google continually tweaks the algorithm based on user feedback and situational data. For example, for“Shared spaces”(e.g. , homes, offices) , add whitelists for“Allow known user tags”(such as family tags that don’t trigger alerts) . 2 for“Sports scenes”(such as running, biking) , 3 for“Children’s devices”(such as children’s watches) , the default“Enhanced Alert”(trigger time shortened to 12 hours) , keep children safe.

3. User Control: Access and data management

Users have the flexibility to manage permissions, data, and sharing of tags in the Find Hub App and mobile settings to ensure“Ownership”:

Share permission subdivision: users can share the tag to family, colleagues (up to 10 people to share) , and support permission subdivision, avoid over-authorization: 1 basic permissions: only allow to view the tag’s“Last found position” and“Power”; 2 operational permissions: allow to view the location + play tag bells; 3 admin permissions: allow to view location + ring + change tag settings (such as broadcast frequency) + unshare. When sharing, you can also set the“Validity period”(such as temporary sharing for 7 days, automatically cancel when it expires) . It is suitable for sharing luggage tags during travel and sharing office supplies tags when traveling.

Data deletion and management: users can manage tag data manually or automatically: 1. Manual deletion: go to the“Tag history location” page in the Find Hub App, you can choose to“Delete selected records” or“Delete all records”, delete cloud synchronization after deletion, can not be restored; Auto-delete: by default, Google automatically deletes historical location data for more than 30 days (users can adjust to 7,15, or 30 days in Settings → Privacy)  3 data export: users can click“Export data” to export the location record of the label to CSV format (for backup or management) .

Relay function switch: if you don’t want your phone to become a“Relay station”(such as worrying about power consumption or privacy) , you can manually turn off the relay function by: 1 turning on the phone“Settings”; 2 go to“Security and privacy”(some phones have“Privacy protection”)3 Find the“Find Hub” option 4 turn off the“Allow my device to relay other tags” switch. When turned off, the phone no longer receives and reports information from other tags, but does not affect the location of its own tag (it can still be located by other relay devices) .

MAP display, real-time and accuracy: key elements of the real-world experience

The accuracy and real-time performance of the“Tag location” that users see in the Find Hub is not fixed, but influenced by three variables: “Tag status, location method, and environmental factors”, it is necessary to objectively understand the ability boundary and avoid excessive expectations.

1. Location and real-time

There are significant differences in location sources and update frequency between tag states, as shown in the following table:

Note: If the user’s phone is not connected to the network (e.g. in airplane mode, no signal) , the App will say“Location to be updated” even if the tag is connected to the BLE, until the phone is back online.

2. Accuracy Range reference (compare different technologies)

The accuracy of BLE, UWB, and relay location varies greatly and is significantly affected by the environment, as shown in the following table:

For example: the user left the key in the mall, if the relay mobile phone is GPS positioning (precision 5 meters) , then the App shows“The key in the XX mall on the 1st floor women’s area (5 meters)”; If the relay mobile phone is WI-FI positioning (accuracy of 20 meters) , it shows that“The key is on the 1st floor of XX Mall (within 20 meters)”, the user needs to find further in the area.

3. Core limitations

Find My Tags isn’t a“Universal tracker,” but there are three core limitations that users need to know before they buy:

Non-GPS trackers: Find My Tags don’t have a built-in GPS module (limited in size and power consumption, the GPS module works at about 50-100 Ma, far more than Ble’s 10-50 ΜA) , and can’t actively locate and upload location like a car’s GPS, relying entirely on ‘location data from an external device (the user’s phone or relay device) ‘ー meaning that if no Android device is around, the tag is ‘invisible’ and can’t be found.

Heavy battery life: all functions of the tag (radio, UWB location) are battery-powered and can not be detected once the battery is depleted (usually less than 5% of the radio) , only“Last seen” is displayed. Therefore, users need to regularly check the battery level of the tag in the Find Hub App (it is recommended to do so once a week) , and replace the battery when the battery level is low (CR2032 button batteries can be purchased in supermarkets and convenience stores for about 2-5 yuan per battery) .

Network and Device Dependency: relay location requires two things: 1) the relay phone has a network (WI-FI/4G/5G) to report data, and 2) the relay phone supports Find Hub relay (Android 10 and above with Google Login) . If you’re in a“No Internet + Low Android device density” area (such as a remote mountain area or ocean) , the tag will completely disappear and can’t be located.

Ecology and vendor practices: Who’s doing it and how to access it?

Since its official opening in 2023, more than 20 major hardware manufacturers have introduced compatibility tags covering scenarios such as“Daily anti-lost”, “Mobility”, “Children/pets”, and“Pets”, google has also provided low-barrier access for small and medium-sized hardware vendors.

1. Major vendors and product cases

The current Find My Tags market is divided into three categories: “Daily anti-lost”, “Precise positioning” and“Scenario-specific”. Typical products are as follows:

(1) daily anti-lost type (ordinary BLE tags, cost-effective)

Chipolo One Point: from Finnish manufacturer Chipolo, supports“Dual ecosystem compatibility”(switching between Google Find Hub and Apple Find My via App, One ecosystem at a time) , uses BLE 5.2 module, and, the CR2032 battery lasts about 6 months (normal mode)/18 months (hibernation mode) , the IPX7 is waterproof (can be submerged in 1 meter deep water for 30 minutes) , and the price is about $29.99. It is suitable for daily keys and wallets.

Tile Mate 2024: from US manufacturer Tile, 2024 adds Find Hub support, BLE 5.1 module, about 12 months of battery life (low power) , IP67 waterproof (dust + spill resistant) , built-in keychain design, support for“Battery Replacement”(no need to change the whole label) , the price is about $34.99, suitable for outdoor enthusiasts (such as backpacks, sports equipment anti-lost) .

Belkin Soundform Tag: From US manufacturer Belkin, featuring“Audio + anti-loss” dual function, in addition to anti-loss, but also as a Bluetooth speaker to play mobile music (85 decibels volume) , BLE 5.0 module, battery life of about eight months, the IPX5 is waterproof and costs about $39.99. It’s ideal for young people (earphones, Chargers, etc.) .

(2) precise positioning (support UWB, high precision)

Motorola Moto Tag: Motorola’s first Find Hub-enabled UWB Tag, equipped with a Decawave DW3000 UWB chip, BLE 5.2 module, CR2032 battery life of about 6 months (when UWB is turned on)/12 months (when UWB is turned off-RRBIP67IP67 waterproof, compatible with all UWB-enabled Android phones (e.g. , Pixel 6, Xiaomi 14) , it costs about $59.99 and is ideal for people who need to find things accurately indoors (e.g. , keys, wallets) .

Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB: Samsung Smarttag 2UWB Support for“Sleep-wake”(long-term unmoving auto-sleep, touch-wake) , price of about $49.99, for Samsung mobile phone users (such as Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Fold5 users) .

(3) scenario-specific (designed for specific scenarios)

Samsonite smart luggage: Samsonite 2024 high-end luggage (such as Cosmolite series) built-in Find My Tags module, no need to buy additional Tags, powered by the luggage built-in CR2450 battery (battery life of about 24 months) , ble location and relay support, IPX4 waterproof (RAINPROOF) , users can open the Find Hub App to see the luggage“Last seen”, for frequent business travel, travel users.

Whistle GO Explore pet collars: combined with“Pet Health Monitoring + anti-lost” features, collars built-in Find My Tags module (support BLE and relay) , as well as heart rate, step number monitoring features, rechargeable lithium-ion battery (lasts about 20 days) , IP68 waterproof (can swim) , suitable for pet owners (such as tracking the location of dogs, cats, to prevent lost) , Price about $99.99(including 1 year health service) .

2. Vendor Access (simplified)

For hardware vendors, access to the Find Hub ecosystem requires a four-step process of“Apply-develop-test-launch”, with an overall cycle time of about 3-6 months (depending on technical maturity) :

Preparation (1-2 weeks) : 1. Sign up for a Google Developers Account (Business License, tax registration)2. apply for“Find Hub device certification” in“Google Play Console”, describe the product type (e. g. Key chain, luggage module) , technical parameters (e. g. Ble version, UWB support) ; 3 download Google provided“Locator Tag Specification V2.1” and“Fast Pair 3.0 development guide” and other technical documents, clear development requirements.

Technology development (8-12 weeks) : 1 hardware development: choose compatible chip scheme (such as Nordic NRF52840 for BLE module and Decawave DW3000 for UWB module) , design circuit board (to meet low power requirements, working current ≤50μa) , 2, embedded Dynamic ID generation algorithm (based on the open source library provided by Google) ; 2 software development: ADAPT TO FAST Pair 3.0 protocol (to achieve automatic pop-up pairing) , integrated data encryption (ECC P-256 algorithm) , development of tag firmware (low power alert, Loss Mode-RRB- ; 3 debug testing: wGoogleogle’s“Find Hub test tool” to ensure that the tag can be correctly identified, relayed, and located.

Compatibility Testing (4-6 weeks) : 1 submit prototypes: submit 5-10 prototypes to a third party laboratory (EG SGS, Intertek) authorized by Google; 2 test content: including functional test (matching success rate ≥99% , relay success rate ≥95% , UWB positioning accuracy ≤10 cm) , privacy security test (data encryption effectiveness, dynamic ID update frequency) , battery life test (battery life at different broadcast frequencies, need to meet ≥6 months) , environmental test (high and low temperature, humidity, waterproof performance, need to meet the IP level requirements) ; 3 problem rectification: if the test fails, modify the hardware or software according to the laboratory feedback (such as optimizing power consumption, adjusting encryption algorithm) , and resubmit the test.

Certification and launch (2-4 weeks) : 1. Certification: after passing the test, Google will issue a“Works with Android” badge, allowing manufacturers to use the badge on product packaging and promotional materials Preparation for mass production: produce products according to certification requirements (insert a Google-approved“Device certificate” into the tag firmware to ensure access to the Find Hub network) ; Launch and sale: the product can be sold worldwide (Find Hub relay network in 190 + countries and territories) , and users can directly pair up with each other after purchase without additional activation.

In order to reduce access costs for small and medium-sized vendors, Google, it also offers a“Tech support program,” in which eligible startups (≤3 years old, ≤ $10 million in annual revenue) can apply for free tech consulting (1-2 on-line mentoring sessions provided by Google Engineers) , and a partial reduction in testing fees (up to 50%) .

User Guide: Practical Steps from buying to finding

1. Purchase and selection

When buying Find My Tags, users need to combine“Usage scenarios, phone models, and budgets” to avoid buying blindly:

Look for authenticated labels: make sure you choose a package or product page that clearly says“Works with Android.” Avoid buying“Find Hub compatible” products that are not certified (there may be pairing failures, relay failures, etc.) . A list of authenticated tags can be found on Google’s website (android.com/works-with-android) .

According to the scene selection function: 1 indoor precision to find things (such as looking for home keys, Wallets) : select support UWB tags, also make sure your phone supports UWB (see settings → about phone → hardware info)  Outdoor anti-lost (such as luggage, pets) : ordinary BLE label can be (Ble 5.0 and above, battery life ≥6 months) ; 3 long-term use (such as luggage, pet collars) : choose replaceable battery or rechargeable label (to avoid the label after the battery can not be replaced, only scrap) .

Focus on the core parameters: 1 battery life: preferred label ≥6 months (CR2032 battery replacement is easy, available in supermarkets) ; 2 waterproof grade: IP67 or above for daily use (rain, splash) , for outdoor or pet use, choose IP68 and above (for soaking and swimming) ; 3 size and weight: Key Ring label choose ≤3 cm in diameter and ≤10 g in weight (portable and not obtrusive) , luggage tags are available in large sizes (for easy identification) .

Budget reference: regular BLE tags (without UWB) usually cost $20-$40, and UWB tags cost $50-$100, scene-specific tags (such as pet collars, luggage-mounted modules) range from $100 to $200, depending on the user’s budget.

2. Pairing and registration (Android 14, for example)

The process is simple and takes less than a minute. Here’s how:

What you’ll need: 1) Open Bluetooth on your phone: go to“Settings → Bluetooth” and turn on the Bluetooth switch -LRB-make sBluetoothooth visibility is on)2) open location services: go to“Settings → location”, turn on location services (the Find Hub needs to confirm the phone’s location via location services for relay or direct location) . 3 make sure the tag is powered: Long Press the button on the tag (if it is) , check if the light is on (green light flashing indicates power, red light flashing indicates low power) , replace the battery if no power.

Auto-pairing: if the tag is placed closer to the phone (≤10 cm) , the phone will automatically pop-up a Fast Pair pop-up window (e.g. “Found ‘unnamed tag’ , is it paired?”) , click the“Pair” button in the pop-up window. If it doesn’t pop up, you can manually pair it up: open the Find Hub App (search for“Find Hub” in the Google Play Store to download it) , click the“+” number on the home page →“Add tracking tag”→ follow the prompts to bring the tag closer to the phone, the App will scan and display the tags and click on“Match”.

Account registration and naming: After Matching, you’ll be prompted to“Associate with your current Google Account”(which shows the account you’re logged in to on your phone) . Click“OK”, the tag will be automatically registered to that account and synced to the Find Hub Network. Then, the App prompts for“Name the tag”, enters a name (e.g. “My keys” or“Suitcase”) , selects an icon (optionally, e.g. “Keys” or“Suitcase”) , and clicks“Done”, you’ll see the added tags on the first page of the App.

Check the status: after adding, click the tab to enter the details page, check“Current status”(e.g. “Online, 2 meters from you”) , “Battery”(e.g. “Remaining 80%”) , “Last update”(e.g. “Just now”) to make sure the tag is working properly. If it says“Offline,” try holding the tag near your phone and refreshing the App to reconnect.

3. Use and find

(1) look for objects close to you (≤10 meters with the tag nearby)

When you know the tag is nearby (e.g. , in your home or bag) but you can’t find it, you can use a“Ring” or“UWB guide” to quickly locate it:

Bell Finder (all tabs supported) : 1 open the Find Hub App and click on the target tab (e.g. “My keys”) on the home page. 2 when you are on the details page, click on the“Play Bell” button (the icon is a horn) , the tag will beep at 80-90db (for 10 seconds, click“Play Bell” again if it is not found) , when you find it, click the“Stop Beep” button.

UWB directions (for tags that support UWB only) : 1 make sure that both the phone and the tag support UWB, and that the distance between them is no more than 10 meters. 2 open the Find Hub App, go to the tag details page, and click the“Directions” button (the icon is a compass)  The screen will display a real-time direction arrow and distance (e.g. “1.5 m ahead, 5 ° to the right”) , and the screen will update the arrow direction according to the angle of the phone, when the distance tag is less than or equal to 30 cm, the App will say“Found! Nearby”, it also triggers a vibrating alert for precise positioning.

(2) looking for things from a distance (tag lost, distance > 10 meters)

When the tag isn’t with you (e.g. , at the mall, on the subway, at a friend’s house) , use the“Last seen” and“Lost Mode” to retrieve it:

1) open the Find Hub App, click on the destination tab, and you’ll be taken to the details page. 2) the page will show“Last seen”(marked in red on the map) , timestamps are shown below (e.g. “2024-10-0115:30, last seen here”) ; 3 click on the markers on the map for more detailed location information (e.g. “Women’s wear area, 1st floor, XX mall, 10m accuracy”) , click on“Navigation” to call up Google Maps and plan your route to the location.

Turn on the lost mode: if the tag is still missing, turn on the“Lost mode” to increase the probability of recovery: 1 click“Mark as lost” on the tag details page; Enter your contact information (e.g. phone number, e-mail, optional) and click“OK”. When the lost mode is turned on, the tab will automatically switch to“High frequency broadcast mode”(1 second per time) , it’s easier for relay phones to find it, and if an Android device finds the tag, it automatically sends a notification to your phone (“Your ‘suitcase’ tag was found near Hotel XX”)  If the finder clicks on the QR code on the tag (some tags support) , you can see your reserved contact information for easy return.

After You’ve retrieved the tag: If You’ve successfully retrieved the tag, you’ll need to turn off the lost mode in the App: 1) go to the tag details page and click“Cancel lost tag” 2) the tag will revert to its previous broadcast mode (e.g. low power mode) , don’t use power too fast.

4. Frequently asked questions

Users may encounter“Matching failure”, “Location does not update”, “UWB does not work” and other issues, can be checked as follows:

Add faqs (frequent user queries)

In addition to the questions mentioned above, users may also be interested in the following high-frequency questions, which are answered in a unified manner:

Q: will Find My Tags drain My phone’s Battery?

A: No. The phone’s“Relay” and“Tag connection” have little effect on battery life: 1 relay: the phone scans the BLE broadcast only in the background at a low-power rate of 10 seconds per scan, which consumes about 0.01 mah, total daily power consumption ≤2mAh (equivalent to 0.1% of total mobile phone power consumption, e.g. 5000mAh mobile phone daily power consumption ≤0.1%) ; 2 tag connection: after establishing a BLE connection with the tag, the phone only needs to maintain a low data rate (e.g. checking battery life, sending ring commands) and consumes ≤5 mah per day (0.2% of total battery life) . Taken together, Find My Tags have a negligible impact on your phone’s battery life, far less than common apps such as wechat and Douyin.

Q: Can I use Find My Tags on My iPhone?

A: some“Biocompatible” tags (e.g. Chipolo One Point, Tile Mate 2024) can be used on the iPhone, but there are two major limitations: 1, not Google Find Hub-the iPhone doesn’t support the Find Hub ecosystem, so the tag has to switch to“Apple mode”(only one ecosystem at a time with the manufacturer’s App) . 2 limited functionality: If the tag supports UWB, there’s no way to use UWB directions on the iPhone (it only supports U1 tags like AirTag) , only BLE location, and the iPhone’s“Unknown tracking alerts” are only for airtags, find My Tags aren’t as sensitive. So if you’re primarily an iPhone user, it’s a good idea to opt for an AirTag or an Apple u1-enabled tag, or a dual eco-compatible tag if you’re both an Android and iPhone user.

Q: can tags still be found when the battery dies?

A: No. When the battery dies (≤5%) , the tag stops transmitting Ble Radio and UWB signals, which can not be detected by any Android device. The Find Hub App only displays the“Last known location”(the timestamp is frozen before the battery dies) , can’t update new location. Therefore, it is recommended that users: 1 check the battery level of the label regularly (once a week in the App) ; 2 when the battery is less than 20% , change the battery immediately (CR2032 button batteries are available in supermarkets and convenience stores and can be easily replaced without tools) . Set charging reminders for rechargeable tags (e.g. pet collars)(low-power notifications can be enabled in the App) .

Q: Can I manage multiple Find My Tags at the same time?

A: Yes. The Find Hub App doesn’t have an explicit limit on the number of tabs (you can theoretically add as many as you want) , but users can manage all of them in a“Device list” on the App’s home page: 2 group management: click“Create groups”, you can label by scene classification (such as“Home”, “Travel”) , easy to find; 3 batch operation: Long Press a label, can check more than one label, batch for“Sharing”, “Delete” and other operations (such as“Home label” batch sharing to family) . In practice, it is recommended not to add too many tags (more than 20) to slow down App loading.

Q: will someone be able to decrypt my information if they find it?

A: No. Find My Tags are encrypted to ensure that the finder can’t access your personal information. The Tags themselves contain no personal information (no name, phone number, or account number) , the finder can only see the appearance of the tag (such as model, color) . 2 if the tag supports QR code, the finder will only see your contact information (e.g. phone number, which you have to add manually in lost mode) , not your location history or other tag information The tag’s identity information (Dynamic ID, root key) is encrypted and stored, so the finder can’t crack it or associate the tag with his or her Google Account (the original account has to be de-associated to re-register) .

Q: How Do I migrate Find My Tags from My Android phone?

No re-pairing required. Just sign in to the same Google Account to sync: 1) download and open the Find Hub app on your new phone; 2) sign in to the same Google account as on your old phone; 3app automatically syncs all of the paired tags (usually within 1-3 minutes) , and once that’s done, the new phone can manage the tags as normal (check location, play ringtone, turn on Lost Mode) , there’s no need to re-pair the tags with the new phone. If the sync fails, you can manually trigger the sync by clicking“Settings → Sync devices” in the App.

Q: Is it possible to set a“Geo-fence” reminder for tabs? (if you forgot your keys when you left home)

A: some tabs are supported, you need to enable them manually in the Find Hub App: 1 go to the tab details page, click“Remind”→“Add geo fence”; 2 select fenced areas on the map (e.g. “Home”, “Company”) and set the radius (10-100m) ; 3 select reminder conditions (e.g. “When leaving the area”, “When entering the area”) , click“Save”. 4 the phone will be notified when the tag leaves/enters the area (e.g. “Your ‘My Key’ tag has left your home. Did you forget it?”) . Note: geo-fencing alerts rely on the phone’s location service and the tag’s real-time location, and may not be triggered if the tag is offline (no relay) .

Conclusion: from“Anti-lost” to“Smart Internet of things”

In essence, Google Find My Tags is a successful combination of“Co-location technology + open ecosystem”-it doesn’t repeat the“Every vendor builds their own location network” approach, instead, it has taken advantage of the scale of Android devices-more than 3bn worldwide-to build a“Universal relay location network” with wide coverage, low cost and privacy and security. This model not only solves the traditional anti-lost device“Limited positioning range, poor compatibility” pain point, but also makes“Item tracking” from“High-end small demand” into“Public daily service”.

For users, Find My Tags offer not only the security of“Less stuff,” but the convenience of“Smart Living.” In the future, as technology evolves, the tags may incorporate more features: 1. Environmental Monitoring: add temperature and humidity sensors to detect if the luggage is in a hot (e.g. , in a sun-baked compartment) or humid (e.g. , a backpack is in the rain) environment; 2AI prediction: Based on the user’s habits (e.g. , leaving the house every morning with the key-RRBAI, AI predicts where the tag is likely to be lost (e.g. , “You may have left your key on the kitchen table”)  3 smart home linkage: When the tag is close to the Smart Door Lock, it automatically unlocks (such as“The key is close to the door, the door lock opens automatically”) ; when the tag is close to the smart speaker, it automatically plays a reminder (such as“Don’t forget to bring your wallet”) .

For hardware vendors, the Find Hub ecosystem lowers the bar for“Smart tracking”-small and medium-sized vendors don’t have to invest heavily in location technology and cloud services, just build hardware to specifications, access to the world’s largest Android trunking network, enabling the innovation of“Contextual tags” such as elderly people, valuables tracking, and logistics package location.