C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Like the Pixel 8 series, Google has equipped the Pixel 9 series with specialized hardware that lets Android’s Find My Device network locate the devices even if they’re powered off.
- The feature is enabled by default.
- You’ll see a notification highlighting its capabilities the first time the device runs low on battery.
Google rolled out Android’s upgraded Find My Device network earlier this year. It utilizes Bluetooth and location proximity data from nearby Android devices to pinpoint the location of lost items, greatly improving its reliability and accuracy. The Find My Device network can also help you locate devices that have been powered off. However, this feature is currently limited to select devices with “specialized Pixel hardware.” Up until now, that only included the Pixel 8 series, but we can confirm that this feature also works with the new Pixel 9 lineup.
Like the Pixel 8, the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold show a “Find phone if battery runs out” notification the first time the devices run low on battery. The notification states that if the “phone runs out of battery or is powered off, the Find My Device network can locate it for several hours.” The feature is enabled by default and works using stored recent locations or the network in high-traffic areas like airports or busy footpaths.
If you want the feature to work with the network in all areas, you can navigate to Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Finders > Find my device > Find your offline devices and select the “With network in all areas” option. You can also disable the feature or switch it to only locate your device using stored recent locations on the same page. Note that you’ll need to keep Bluetooth and Location permissions enabled before the device shuts down for the feature to work as intended.
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