Android users will have more ways to find their devices and other items, Google announced on Tuesday during the Android Show, a week before Google I/O 2025. The company says its Find My Device feature, which allows Android users to locate lost phones and other devices, will become known as “Find Hub,” as it rolls out support for more partners, satellite-based finding capabilities, and airline partnerships.
Initially introduced as an Android-based alternative to Apple’s Find My service in 2013, Find My Device expanded just over a year ago with the introduction of a crowdsourced finding network that could locate personal belongings via third-party Bluetooth trackers and tags, like those from Chipolo, Pebblebee, and others.
Now, Google is unveiling more partners that will work with its service using built-in location tracking capabilities.
This includes built-in luggage finding from brands like July and Mokobara, a way to locate lost skis with built-in Peak integration, and new Bluetooth tags aimed at families from Pixbee. Later this month, Android users will also be able to use ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate Motorola’s moto tags.
The company says support for satellite-based finding will roll out later in 2025.
Google also announced airline partnerships that will help travelers keep track of their luggage, following last year’s news that Apple’s Find My will work with over a dozen airlines. For Android users, new airline partners working with Google’s Find Hub include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iberia, and Singapore Airlines.
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During the Android Show leading up to Google I/O, Google on Tuesday offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more. The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over a billion messages per day in the U.S.
This metric is based on an average of the last 28 days, Google noted.
The stat is notable because Google fought for years to get Apple to adopt support for RCS on iOS, allowing for better communication between Android and Apple devices. Previously, iPhone users who received texts from friends on Android had to deal with blurry videos and images, and couldn’t as easily manage group chats when their green-bubbled friends joined. Unlike with iMessage, group chats with Android users couldn’t be renamed, nor could people be added or removed, and you couldn’t exit when you wanted. Emoji reactions also didn’t work properly, leading to annoying texts to let you know how an Android user reacted, instead of just displaying their emoji reaction directly.
That changed with the fall 2024 launch of iOS 18, when Apple finally added RCS support to its Messages app. Though the functionality has been upgraded, Apple still displays RCS chats as green bubbles, hoping to keep the stigma of being an Android user intact. This is particularly important among young people in the U.S., where demand for the blue bubbles has cemented the iPhone as teens’ most popular device.
Surprisingly, Google did not share other stats around RCS, like those detailing the number of users more specifically or the carrier support.
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