Bluetooth tracking devices are handy for finding lost items, but they can also be used maliciously. Fortunately, companies are doing their best to help people protect themselves from unwanted tracking by letting them know when an unwanted device locks onto their location. Google has just announced its new “Find Nearby” Android feature, which detects unregistered Bluetooth devices tracking your location and helps you find where they are.
Google’s “Find Nearby” Feature Locates Hidden Location Trackers
As announced on Google’s blog The Keyword, the company is helping people spot hidden Bluetooth trackers. Bad actors sometimes surreptitiously stick a tracker onto an item and then give it to someone they want to track—for example, inside a stuffed toy. When the target brings the item back home with them, the bad actor can then learn where they live, which makes Bluetooth racking devices an unfortunate tool of choice for stalkers.
Fortunately, Android devices are now getting a tool called “Find Nearby.” This works alongside Android’s unknown tracker alert system to help you locate where it is:
If you receive an unknown tracker alert, you can now use the “Find Nearby” feature to pinpoint the tag’s location. Your Android device will guide you to the tag, to help you find it if it’s hidden.
This feature is also rolling out alongside a new “Temporarily Pause Location” feature. When your phone detects a potentially unwanted tracking device, you can disable location tracking for 24 hours. This gives you plenty of time to find the tracker and dispose of it before resuming normal operations.
If you’d like to learn more about protecting your privacy from digital stalkers, check out what to do when you receive a phone tracking alert. It’s very important to learn these steps ahead of time, as the worst thing you can do while being tracked is take the device home with you.
