Android 15 will introduce a bunch of new and exciting features, one of which will be the Powered Off Finding API. As the name suggests, this API will allow your devices to be found even when they are switched off. However, in order to use this feature, your smartphone will need to have hardware capabilities. It now appears that the Pixel 8 series already has these abilities, and they are also expected to be found in the Pixel 9 series coming out later this year.
Android 15 could allow you to track your device even when the phone is turned off, thanks to some software and hardware features
According to a new report, Android 15's Power Off Finding API will enable devices to be located even when they are switched off. While this might sound like magic, that is not the case because it is done using pre-computed Bluetooth beacons stored in the Bluetooth controller. Of course, it needs specialized hardware that allows the Bluetooth controller to remain on even when the device is powered off. However, the device still needs to have some battery that would allow the controller to function.
We know that the Pixel 9 will have this feature, but the report indicates that the Pixel 8 series also has this feature and will get it when Android 15 comes out. I hope that this feature is not something that people need to use very often, but it is always good to have something that can be used in times of need.
It is worth noting that phones like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series will most likely be without this feature. We just don't know why these devices will not get these features. It could be a hardware limitation or a software lock, but we look forward to seeing whether that happens once Android 15 comes out.
As far as Android 15's release date, the update should be available sometime in October when it debuts with the Pixel 9 series. Google will formally announce the update at Google I/O 2024 on May 14th. We will learn a lot more about it then and keep you posted as it comes to be.
News Source: Android Police
About the author: I have been tinkering with Android devices ever since the early days of the HTC Desire. Over time, I have grown a fondness for the ecosystem and now I cannot live without it. Although some might believe that I have sold my soul to Android, but I believe it is not the case. You can find me writing tutorials and posting guides on a number of different smartphones. When I am not writing here, I am wasting myself away in books, journals, or on Steam.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
