It has been a long time coming, but finally Android users will have access to the same device search capabilities that Apple users have enjoyed

Starting Monday (April 8), Android device owners in the US and Canada will have access to the new Google Find My Device network Similar to Apple's Find My, Google's solution will allow users to track their lost devices and will work even with devices that are offline

Find My Device allows users to locate their Android smartphone or tablet on a map Starting next month, Bluetooth location tracking will allow users to locate gadgets such as keys and wallets Google said that Bluetooth tracking tag makers Chipolo and Pebblebee will work with the platform, and other companies, including Eufo and Motorola, will add Find My Device compatibility to Bluetooth tracking later this year He stated that

Google's new app also includes a "Find Nearby" feature that allows users to request their phone to look for nearby devices connected to their account with the help of Find My Device, users can also share their device's location with others

Perhaps the most important feature is the "Find Nearby" feature, which allows users to request that their phone connect to their account to locate nearby devices

Perhaps most interestingly, Find My Device also uses Google-owned Nest products to allow users to locate items throughout their homes If a user is looking for an item registered to his or her account and cannot find it, but has a Nest product, he or she can request Find My Device to use the Nest device's location to triangulate the location of the lost item In doing so, the Nest device becomes a reference for locating the item throughout the house

Of course, Find My Device includes many other features, such as the ability to play a sound to more easily locate a lost device Users can also remotely disable a device if they fear the device is permanently lost and do not want to risk theft

If these features sound familiar, that's because many of the "Find My Device" features are also available in Apple's Find My network Like Google's option, Apple offers the ability to easily track lost items Providing this feature is critical in today's mobile market With a billion users worldwide, it is nice to see Android offer this feature

While Find My Device may seem convenient, Google is also concerned about privacy and security

In fact, the company makes sure that location data shared with users is encrypted throughout Google uses crowdsourced data from other users' devices to find lost items offline, but the company was quick to point out that no personally identifiable information is shared To keep users safe from stalkers and malicious companies trying to monitor their location, Google has set a limit on the number of times it can obtain location data from a device

"Malicious users often attempt to conduct real-time tracking of a person," Google wrote in a blog post on Monday" By applying rate limiting and throttling to reduce the frequency with which device location information is updated, the network continues to help locate items like checked luggage lost during travel while helping to mitigate the risk of real-time tracking"

Google's Find My Device tracking is rolling out to Android devices in the US and Canada starting Monday In the coming weeks, it will be available for devices in other regions