Google might offer Bluetooth tracker detection directly in Android

Google is reportedly trying to bake support for Bluetooth trackers such as Tile and AirTag directly into Android.

9to5Google has been digging through the code of the latest version of Google Play services (version 22.12.13), and while doing so, recently spotted mentions of “Unfamiliar device alerts” and “Unfamiliar Tag Detected Notification” for Bluetooth Low Energy tracking tags. It also discovered “Tile” and “AirTag” references, possibly used to denote Tile and Apple AirTag trackers, respectively.

Does this mean Google is working on the ability to detect, contact, and ping Bluetooth tracking tags all from your Android device? It’s honestly not yet clear, and you should also keep in mind that Google often tests new features in its code but never actually rolls them out to the public. It’s also worth noting that, while there are third-party Android apps for tracking tags, Apple’s AirTags notably don’t allow Android users to automatically scan for trackers in the background like you can do on iPhone. Many Android devices also don’t have an ultra-wideband sensor for precise tracking of tags like the iPhone does.

So, it’s no wonder that Google is reportedly exploring the idea of baking in system-level support for Bluetooth trackers into Android. Although Google hasn’t confirmed or denied its plans as of yet, the Google I/O 2022 developer conference is right around the corner, so perhaps the company will have more to reveal soon.