Google Fixed The 'Find My Device' Name Problem, But Now Android Needs Better AirTags

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The “Find My Device” network has suffered from bad branding long enough. That’s why I was glad to see the transition over to “Find Hub” this week, but I think Google still has one more pillar to take care of, and that’s offering better AirTag competitors for Android users.

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The “Find My Device” app wasn’t always what it has been over the past couple of years. For ages, it truly was an app to find your device, as its sole function was locating other Android smartphones, tablets, and watches tied to your Google account. The branding was immediately outgrown as soon as trackers came into the fray, though, and even more so when Google added the ability to share user locations as well.

That’s why the new “Find Hub” name introduced this week makes so much sense. It’s clean and easy to understand, better hinting at what it’s actually capable of versus the prior branding. While it might seem minor, this contributes to building out a better understanding of what Google’s network can do.

But there’s still a much bigger problem.

Trackers.

Put simply, AirTag-like trackers for Android are a bit of a mess right now. The network itself is improving. Google recently offered some real numbers for this, with the network being four times as fast as it was at launch, and more users activating the “in all locations” setting that’s needed to get the most out of the network. Yet, complaints still come up frequently.

A recent thread on Reddit brought this out nicely with a user’s tracker not pinging in their car for over 24 hours. I’ve been in the same boat many times. One instance that immediately comes to mind is when I was searching the house for my wallet and decided to try and use the Pebblebee Card inside to activate a sound to help track it down. It never connected, and still never connects to this day. The tracker is fully charged and still pings its location regularly, but it never connects to my phone to start an alarm.

That’s just one example of many instances where I’ve run into what I consider unnecessary headaches with existing “Find Hub” trackers. Some don’t go into pairing mode properly, some don’t connect to the app reliably, and some don’t get pinged as frequently as others. That’s why it’s hard to say if one is “better” than the other, because they all have their own sets of pros and cons.

I’d really like to see newer products address this. Pebblebee and Chipolo have both addressed a pain point in developing new hardware that works with both Google and Apple’s networks (not at the same time), and Motorola stepped up to be the first with UWB (which is finally going live soon). But I’d like to see some trackers that maybe give up a little bit of battery life for more reliable pings and connections. Ultimately, though, the only way we’re going to get the “shining example” of Find Hub trackers is if Google makes a first-party option, which it absolutely should do.

Hopefully, we’ll see these devices in time. Personally, I’m currently testing out trackers from MiLi and Rolling Square, and I’m intrigued to see what comes of the trackers built into suitcases that were announced this week.

How has your experience with Find My Device – now Find Hub – been lately? Let’s discuss!

This Week’s Top Stories

The future of Android has been unveiled

Google’s “The Android Show” this week revealed what’s next for Android, including its new Material 3 Expressive design, Gemini everywhere, and more. It’s all very exciting, and that’s before we even get the Google I/O keynote next week that could have more surprises in store.

Google announces Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive redesign
Wear OS 6 brings Material 3 Expressive redesign, Gemini
Gemini coming to Android Auto with Live, automatic translation, more [Video]
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Google’s Advanced Protection will bring a max security button to Android 16
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Google says 1 billion RCS messages are sent daily in the US following iPhone adoption
Google adding UWB for Android trackers ‘this month,’ luggage and airline integration soon

Galaxy S25 Edge revealed

Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge this week and, well, it’s a slim smartphone. Pre-orders are open now with devices shipping in the US on May 30.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge finally debuts for $1,099 with 3,900 mAh battery, 5.8mm thin
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