Google's Find My Device network aims to catch up to Apple’s AirTags with one key upcoming feature

Google is now officially saying its Find My Device network for Android is significantly faster, claiming it finds lost items four times quicker than when it first launched. This is welcome news for anyone who felt the network was a bit slow out of the gate.

When Google's crowdsourced network first started using nearby Android phones to find Bluetooth trackers, its speed didn't quite match up to Apple's Find My or Samsung's SmartThings Find. Early reports mentioned delays and sometimes inconsistent tracking. But improvements seemed to be happening, and Google has now put a number on it: 4x faster.

What made it faster?

So, what's behind this speed-up? Google said it's down to ongoing improvements behind the scenes, tweaking algorithms and how the system works. A big part was adjusting how often and how long nearby Android devices scan for trackers. Better scanning means faster communication and quicker location updates in the app.

Another factor is down to how users tweak their privacy settings, as the default only helps find items in "high-traffic areas." More users are reportedly switching this to "all areas," which helps the network locate things much more effectively, especially in less busy places. Google prompted users about this setting last year, and it seems to have helped.

This push makes sense given the competition. Apple's Find My network is the big player, using millions of Apple devices and UWB for precise finding with AirTags. Samsung also has a strong system with SmartThings Find and its own UWB-equipped SmartTags. Google's advantage is the massive number of Android devices worldwide, but making the network fast and reliable is key. This speed boost is a good step.