Google’s new Find My Device network finally launched back in April to a rather muted reception. The new device tracking was pretty basic at first, and the international rollout has been pretty slow. But it looks like Google may be getting ready to start offering some important features to the network — including support for Google’s Family Link.
Family Link is Google’s parental control software, letting you set up and place limits on your kid’s Android phone. Screen time limits, control over apps and websites they visit, device tracking and more. That last part is where Find My Device support comes into play.
According to AssembleDebug at Android Authority the latest version of the Find My Device app features a “Family devices” tab. This means that you can view the location of the devices that have been linked to your Google account through Family Link — and without cluttering up the list of your own personal devices.
The Family Link part is crucial, and means the devices will only appear for you if your account has been set up to supervise another. It doesn’t mean they can track you back, nor will let you track people who have been added to your Google One account. You’ll have to go through the motions of setting up Google Family Link first.
This is a very small change, in the grand scheme of things, but it shows Google is committed to ensuring Find My Device is a robust device-tracking network. It also means parents will be able to locate all their kid’s phone in the same place as all their other devices — from phones to Bluetooth trackers. No more diving into the Family Link app and navigating its many tabs.
The new version of Find My Device appears to be rolling out now. Obviously if you don’t supervise any device with Family Link, this isn’t going to have much of an impact on you. But if your kids use Android devices, then this may make life easier for you. Just be sure to keep the app up to date.
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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor
Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.
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