Google is reportedly developing a tracker or tracking device that can be used to find lost objects. This device will compete with existing trackers such as Apple AirTag, Samsung Smart Tags and Tile.
Cuban developer and tipster Wojciechowski found references indicating that Google is developing support for locator tags in Fast Pair.
Fast Pair itself is a technology that is being developed by Google to pair Bluetooth devices more quickly. In his tweet on Twitter, Wojciechowski believes Google is developing tracking tools to use with this feature.
The tracker, according to Wojciechowski, has the code 'Grogu' after the name Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian series. This device also has the alternative names 'GR10' and 'Groguaudio', as quoted from The Verge, Thursday (19/1/2023).
Wojciechowski said the tracker device is being worked on by the Google Nest team, but that doesn't mean it will launch as a product in the Nest line. Wojciechowski claims the tracker will be launched in a variety of color options.
The device tracker developed by Google is also equipped with a speaker to guide users in finding a lost device with voice assistance, similar to the features offered by Apple AirTag.
Wojciechowski says the 'Grogu' tracker will also support Bluetooth LE and ultra-wideband (UWB). Google's flagship phones like the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro already support UWB, but their use is limited for features like Nearby Share.
Bluetooth and UWB alone are not enough to provide accurate location information. Therefore, this Google tracker will also utilize signals from billions of Android phones around the world to help users find their lost items.
While the use of trackers such as AirTags continues to be popular, these devices also pose privacy issues because they are often misused by stalkers. To overcome this problem, last year Google was reportedly developing 'Unfamiliar device alerts' which would warn Android users if there was a tracker nearby.
Wojciechowski predicts that Google will announce the tracker device at the Google I/O developer conference likely in May 2023, and that it will launch with the new Pixel phones in the fall.