Ryan Haines / Android Authority
long story short
- Android 15 has a new feature that can locate a device even when it’s turned off, but this ability requires specialized hardware in addition to software changes.
- Once Android’s updated Find My Device network rolls out, the Pixel 9 series is expected to come with the feature for the first time.
- The Pixel 8 series and the upcoming Pixel 8a may also support the feature, while the Pixel Fold, Pixel 7 series, and older devices may not.
One of the highlight features of Android 15 is expected to be the new power-off discovery API, which allows compatible phones to be located even when they are powered off. The new feature has some hardware requirements that devices like the upcoming Google Pixel 9 are expected to meet. It turns out that the phone in your pocket may already be equipped with the hardware required for this feature, as Google appears to have included them in the Pixel 8 series as well.
according to a report Android Police, Android 15’s power-off discovery API enables the ability to locate a device even if it is turned off. This is accomplished by allowing the device to store precomputed Bluetooth beacons in the Bluetooth controller’s memory. Thanks to the extra specialized hardware, the device can power the Bluetooth controller even when the rest of the phone is turned off (assuming you have some spare battery). Beyond the obvious updates to Android 15 and the rollout of Android’s upgraded Find My Device network, some software engineering work to support the Bluetooth finder HAL is required to make this possible.
The Pixel 9 is widely expected to meet these criteria, but so will the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro (once updated to Android 15). By extension, the upcoming Pixel 8a is also expected to support the feature, according to reports.
However, the Pixel Fold, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel 6 series are unlikely to support this feature. The report doesn’t mention whether the devices are missing the hardware required for this feature or are simply missing a bit of software. If it’s just the software part that’s missing, especially on newer, higher-end devices like the Pixel Fold, there’s a chance the feature could be rolled out in the future.
Are you excited about Android 15 and the upcoming phone-off location feature? Let us know what you think in the comments below!