If you’re deep into the Samsung eco-system and you have several Galaxy devices, then you’ll be glad to know that they’re rolling out the SmartThings Find feature in the SmartThings app. This will help you locate all your Galaxy devices including smartphones, tablets, earbuds, and smartwatches. You’ll be able to find the supported devices, specifically those running on Android 8 and later, even if they’re offline through a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-sideband (UWB) services.
This feature was initially launched in the US, UK, and South Korea but will now be rolling out globally to all Galaxy users, although Samsung still emphasized that it may vary by market and courier. Once you’ve updated your SmartThings app (or download it if you haven’t yet), you will have to undergo a “quick registration process” where you can add all your Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds.
Even if your device is offline, you will still be able to locate it on the map on the app, similar to other find your device software. If a device is offline for 30 minutes, it will produce a BLE signal that can be received by other Galaxy devices that have opted in to help find devices. The nearby devices will be able to alert the Samsung server about the location and then notify the owner. In terms of security and protection, all data is encrypted and “securely protected” so the location will only be revealed to the owner.
When you lose a device, simply tap on the item you want to locate on the SmartThings Find section on the SmartThings app. It will then show you the location on your map and when you’re close to it, you can choose to ring it or locate it using the AR-based Search Nearby function that will increase in color intensity when you’re getting closer to your “lost” device. They didn’t exactly say if those devices can be located even if it’s turned off.
The SmartThings app will receive a software update for Galaxy smartphones and tablets which will bring SmartThings Find to users. By next year, they will also include tracking tags which will help users locate other items, not just devices, that have these tags as well.