On April 8, 2024, North America was captivated by the first total solar eclipse since 2017, a celestial event that turned eyes skyward. While the world marvelled at this astronomical spectacle, Google quietly unveiled a long-awaited update to its Find My Device (FMD) network, hoping to cast a shadow of its own.
Since its debut in 2013, the original FMD allowed users to remotely track and wipe Android phones and tablets connected to the internet. Now, Google’s revamped network takes this functionality to the next level, extending its reach to headphones, earbuds, and location trackers — poised to rival Apple’s AirTags. This updated FMD taps into crowdsourced data from any Android device, even when offline.
With FMD enabled, devices within a specific range can report back via Bluetooth. Given Android’s staggering 72% global market share, this advancement holds the promise of revolutionizing lost item recovery for non-iOS users.
Yet, with such expanded tracking capabilities come valid concerns about safety and privacy. To address these, Google and Apple have collaborated to create software that alerts users to unknown trackers.
This system can distinguish between a device actively following you and one merely in proximity. It provides instructions on how to locate and disable the tracker, preserving data for potential law enforcement follow-up. This robust safety feature operates seamlessly across all platforms, regardless of the network.
Apple AirTags have long been regarded as the top choice for lost item tracking, thanks to their use of UWB (ultrawideband) technology and a large iOS user base (54% of the North American market and 28% globally as of June 2024).
Until now, Android users had to rely on Bluetooth trackers from companies like Eufy, Tile, or Samsung, each with their own proprietary ecosystems. The integration of Google’s FMD is expected to shift the balance significantly.
Chipolo and Pebblebee are the first to offer trackers compatible with the updated FMD network. Eufy and Motorola will follow suit later this year. Pebblebee generously sent me all three of their trackers for review. My anticipation was high but the results were a mixed bag.
Pebblebee has over 10 years of experience in the tracking industry, offering individual and Enterprise solutions. In addition to being one of the first in the industry to offer FMD compatible devices, Pebblebee also produces embedded chips using GPS or LTE-M for business applications.
Past collabs with brands such as Peak Ski and Hedgehog Umbrellas have yielded innovative, trackable consumer assets. Their reputation set lofty expectations for these devices.
Pebblebee trackers come in three formats: Card, Clip, and Tag. They feature bright LEDs, loud buzzers, rechargeable batteries, and are rated IPX6 for dust and water resistance. The Clip has a built-in key ring attachment that is great for more than just keys.
Hook it onto backpacks, water bottles or even the jacket of energetic kids. You can set up Pebble’s proprietary Left Behind alert if your item (or kids) wander out of range. The slim Card design slips easily into wallets, purses, outerwear and luggage.
At less than two inches long, the tiny Tag can be used like a sticker on the back of remote controllers, helmets, bikes, or cameras. It also comes with a silicone sleeve strap for additional versatility. With global tracking potential, these devices are designed for limitless applications.
[Charging the products]
Of all the major brands, only Pebblebee trackers are rechargeable, making them an eco-friendly choice. Disposable batteries create additional electronic waste and are a safety hazard for young children. The Card lasts up to 18 months per charge, the Clip up to 12 months, and the pint-sized Tag up to eight months.
Battery status is easily monitored via the Google FMD app or Pebblebee’s app so you’ll know when the trackers need more juice. Both the Card and Tag have intuitive magnetic clip chargers that snap into place only when properly aligned.
[Pebblebee Clip]
The Clip comes with a USB-C cable but all three require a USB-C power block. Pairing with either app is straightforward, with trackers glowing blue during setup.
[Clip and Tag]
Both the Clip and the Card boast an impressive 500 foot Bluetooth range in open air, while the Tag (the smallest of the bunch) is up to 300 feet. This range surpasses other Bluetooth trackers, with Tile Pro coming closest at 400 feet.
[Find My Device app]
I easily located my wallet using the Card from different rooms in the house by selecting the Find Nearby feature in the FMD app. The app shows a bubble that expands the closer you get to the lost item. Physical barriers such as walls and trees typically reduce Bluetooth range down to about 100 feet.
To find objects that have gone off the grid – such as your luggage or the moving truck that has taken off with your dishes – a robust locator network is invaluable. There have been many news stories about how AirTag users have been able to watch their luggage proceed through an airport. I hoped Google’s FMD would offer comparable reach. My experience with FMD was dreadfully underwhelming, primarily due to issues with the current state of app deployment rather than the trackers themselves.
First, a few background caveats. In terms of accuracy, most devices, including Pebblebee, rely solely on Bluetooth technology for short-range geo-location. AirTags combine UWB and Bluetooth for more precise tracking.
UWB (ultrawideband) is a wireless connectivity standard similar to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but transmits real-time data across a wider bandwidth, allowing for improved accuracy. UWB is also used in Samsung’s SmartTag and Motorola’s soon-to-be-released Moto Tag.
More importantly, Samsung, dominating 28% of global Android devices, opted out of FMD, electing to keep within its own proprietary SmartThings platform. This is an unexpected disappointment as Samsung SmartTag’s capabilities most closely match the Airtag’s.
The free SmartThings app archived a five-day location history to help trace the progress of several of my items. Most other tracker apps, such as Tile, require a subscription to access location history. I was expecting FMD to work the same way since the global market share of Android devices is over 50% – even without Samsung devices.
[SmartThings app]
One of the ways I use SmartTags is to keep track of elderly relatives in case they wander off. The SmartThings app shows the path they have gone in the past five days because there are plenty of Samsung phones reporting back to the SmartThings network. This indispensable information is only possible with the participation of a large responsive network of users.
Unfortunately, FMD app users can’t yet access location history for trackers, only the last known position. For privacy reasons, the FMD network updates geo-points only when corroborated by multiple users. Thus, trackers in low-traffic areas yield little or no data.
I experimented by leaving the Card with my brother and the Tag in my car. Over the week, no locations were reported back to the FMD app unless the trackers were in busy areas such as a mall or a restaurant where there were numerous Android devices.
If I lost my item at a friend’s house or dropped it in a park trail where there was little foot traffic, it may never show up because there would not be enough Android reports. This behaviour severely handcuffs the potential of the FMD network. When updates were available, they were accurate, demonstrating the system’s potential.
Pebblebee can archive up to nine months of location history. However, in order to obtain this history, the trackers must be paired with the Pebblebee app, disconnecting them from FMD. The apps cannot be used together. This negates the advantage of Google’s network since Pebblebee app’s user base is minuscule. On the PlayStore, the Pebblebee app only showed 100K+ downloads while FMD is 500M+.
I paired the Clip to the Pebblebee app on a separate phone and left that phone at home. Over a week of daily activities, my Clip never pinged off any other Pebblebee user and so the only location ever shown was my home, where the paired phone was.
While the ability to locate items within a 500 foot range is easy, the app is virtually useless if your possessions are lost afar. Additionally, the Pebblebee app proved to be a battery drain.
By app user count, Google’s new FMD network should have the largest number, followed by Apple, then Samsung, then Tile. The polling rate for devices that have no UWB appears to be quite low, meaning there may be long intervals where the tracker does not update.
Although Pebblebee app functions such as Location History, Left Behind Alert and smart home integrations are nice to have, it is more advantageous to leverage the potential power of Google’s FMD network with their new suite of trackers.
The impressive array of features on the Pebblebee Clip, Card, and Tag sets them head to shoulders above other Bluetooth trackers. However, you cannot use the Pebblebee app or any of its extras if you want to utilize Google’s updated FMD network and the legion of ‘droids.
While Google promises extensive tracking capabilities, FMD’s current limitations dampen the potential of Pebblebee’s devices.
Retailing at over CAD $40, Pebblebee trackers are pricier than their competitors, however the rechargeable batteries and extended range offer distinct advantages.
As Google refines FMD to deliver consistent performance in all scenarios, Pebblebee’s trackers could become the top choice for lost item recovery among Android users.
About Our Contributor Cora Li
Cora dabbles in arts, technology, food, and travel. She loves that Vancouver offers a vast playground for exploring all of her passions. Cora’s most memorable job to date was working with VANOC during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
