Google: “Find my device” now also available in Germany

There was already speculation last week that the “Find my device” feature was about to be launched in Germany too. And the speculation has apparently been confirmed. Google has now activated the function for finding lost Android devices in this country too.

No fear of losing your smartphone

With the right app, you can add various Android devices to the network. To be on the safe side, Google automatically adds your smartphone to “Find my device”. As soon as you log in to the right app, you can get an overview of your devices and add more. In the event of loss, you can open a map showing the last location of the device.

Google emphasizes data protection

The whole thing sounds like an extremely cool feature, of course. But in view of the sensitive data involved, it may also increase some people’s fear of thieves. However, according to Google, there should be no reason for this. After all, the tech company is committed to the highest possible standard of data security and encryption.

Thanks to peer-to-peer encryption, not even Google itself should be able to access the data. The same standards as Google’s password manager, which has proven to be very secure, are to be used. The Android inventor gives you the choice of how you want to use “Find my devices”.

If you are looking for a high level of data security, it is best to opt for “Connect to network only in high-traffic areas”. For example, if your smartphone has slipped into the crevice of your seat in the airport waiting area, you can find it quickly this way. Conversely, it may be harder to find in less busy areas.

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Then you should select “With network in all locations”. In this case, the device uses every available network and can be easily found even in remote locations. It’s up to you to decide how important the security of your personal location data is. We can only hope that Google’s counterpart to Apple’s “Where is?” offers significantly fewer risks of data misuse.