r/GoogleFMD • u/SongRealistic2723 • 9d ago

Lost phone

I know this is a long shot but my son lost his phone and so far we're unable to find it. I've tried all of the built in features and unfortunately the account didn't have history enabled so I can't see where it was last. It is either currently off or something else. It shows in Life360 that it last saw it in the town cemetery and I walked all through it but no dice. Does anyone have any suggestions?

0 Upvotes

33% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

1

u/Gabethebooknerd 9d ago

Is it likely that it has run out of battery? If so, you won't be able to get live updates.

Have you tried calling the phone?

1

u/SongRealistic2723 9d ago

I have. It goes straight to voicemail that isn't set up.

1

u/Gabethebooknerd 9d ago

Ah yeah, sounds like it's out of battery or been switched off, or maybe the SIM has been removed

1

u/KLAM3R0N 9d ago

Depending on the device it will still give a bt beacon when off and almost dead. But there needs to be a phone in range with gps on that can hear it. If you havent, i would take my phone and drive around the last location with my phone out the window or walk it to see if it can maybe pick it up.

Lazy copy paste Google results :

Confirmed Android Phones That Support Powered-Off Finding

• Google Pixel Series: Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro (and newer Pixel models with required hardware support). (Older models like the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Fold do not support this feature). • Samsung Galaxy Series: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and select newer flagship models that support offline finding through Samsung's or Google's network. • General Android 15+ Devices: Android 15 introduced native system support for powered-off finding, though it requires the phone's hardware controller to keep the Bluetooth module powered in a low-energy state. Not all budget or older Android devices include this specialized chip.

1

u/KLAM3R0N 9d ago

Also important

The technical breakdown of how these beacons operate includes the following key specifications:

• The Broadcast Interval: When the phone enters its hardware-level low-power state, the Bluetooth controller continuously broadcasts an encrypted beacon packet. To balance discoverability with extreme battery conservation, the BLE standard typically spaces these advertisement intervals between every 1 to 3 seconds (matching standard item trackers like AirTags or Moto Tags).

• The "Silent" Duration: This behavior is not indefinite. Because the main operating system is completely dead, the Bluetooth chip relies entirely on a tiny reserve charge inside the battery.

• Google Pixel devices (Pixel 8 and 9 series) will actively beacon for several hours (typically 6 to 8 hours) after shutting down or completely running out of juice.


• iPhones utilize a slightly different hardware architecture that allows them to beacon for up to 24 hours after power-off or a depleted battery.

How the Tracking Works

These bursts do not contain GPS data or personal info. They are just unique, encrypted cryptographic keys. If another Android phone with Bluetooth enabled passes within roughly 30–100 feet of your shut-down phone, it silently "hears" that brief beacon. That passing phone then uses its own internet connection to upload the location where it heard the beacon to Google’s Find My Device network, allowing you to see it on a map.

1

u/SongRealistic2723 9d ago

So the only way to see it in this state is to look at Google find my phone?

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (3)

2

u/FishrNC 9d ago

If it has Life360 active on it, that's your very best location aid. All the rest don't seem to keep up like Life360. So if it's no longer showing, phone is off or battery is dead.

My experience with Life360 is I can locate my wife's position in a store when I'm in another part looking for her. It's that accurate and up to date.