There are some things Apple does better than Google. First, the Cupertino company allows users to track their iPhones even if they are turned off, while Google requires the phone to be turned on.
That may change soon, as the company is reportedly preparing to improve the functionality of its Find My Device app for Android that will soon let you find a lost or stolen device even if it's turned off.
As shared by 91Mobiles, developer Kuba Wojciechowski bhinted that Google is preparing a Find My Device feature which will allow you to find your device when it's turned off, similar to what Apple's Find My Phone app does. The post says the new feature will be called Pixel Power-off Finder on Google phones.
To implement this feature, Google will apparently create a massive network of all Android devices, including UWB, and Google's code name “grogu”. This network will likely help your lost device connect to other devices via Bluetooth to relay its location.
According to Wojciechowski, the code reveals the new Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) definition called “hardware.google.bluetooth.power_off_finder”. This definition will include pre-computed Finger Network keys that will be sent to the device's Bluetooth chip, allowing it to remain active even if the phone is turned off.
However, to date it appears that only the upcoming Pixel 8 phones will be able to support this new feature, as it requires hardware support to keep the Bluetooth chip always on. We don't know if the current Pixel 7 smartphones have such technology.
