SmartThings Find helps you find your lost Samsung Galaxy devices

Samsung introduced a new ‘Offline finding’ feature in its Find My Mobile app earlier this year in August, allowing users to locate their lost or stolen Galaxy devices without requiring network access on the missing device. At the time, the feature was only available in select regions. However, Samsung recently started rolling it out widely with version 7.2.07.19 of the Find My Mobile app. While Samsung is yet to release a statement about the Offline finding feature, the company has now rolled out a new feature in the SmartThings app that offers similar functionality. The new SmartThings Find feature is based on the same principles, and it makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies to help users find select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds.

Talking about the new feature, Jaeyeon Jung, VP and Head of Samsung’s SmartThings team, said, “Utilizing the latest in BLE and UWB technology, SmartThings Find will make your life less stressful when it comes to searching for misplaced Galaxy devices. With the added advantage of using AR in conjunction with maps and sound to guide you back to your devices, SmartThings Find is a simple and visual solution that will help you easily locate your favorite devices. This is just one example of the new meaningful mobile experiences that UWB technology will bring to people across the world.”

To use the new SmartThings Find feature, you’ll first need to complete a quick registration process in the SmartThings app. Once the process is complete, you will be able to find select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds using the new service. As with the Offline findings feature, SmartThings Find will also work even when your missing device is offline.

Samsung explains that once a device is offline for 30 minutes, it will produce a BLE signal that can be received by other devices. If you report your device as lost via SmartThings Find, any nearby user with a Galaxy device or tablet who has opted for helping find misplaced devices will be able to alert Samsung’s server about the missing device’s location. The server will then notify you about the same and help you locate your missing device. The missing device’s location will only be revealed to the device’s owner, and all SmartThings Find user data will be encrypted and securely protected.

The lost device’s location will be displayed on a map, and once you’re nearby, SmartThings find will also give you the option to ring your device to locate it quickly. Furthermore, the service includes an AR-based Search Nearby function, which will display color graphics that will increase in intensity when you get closer to your lost device. To make use of this new service, you’ll need to update to the latest version of the SmartThings app. You can check out the video embedded above to see the feature in action.

It’s worth noting that the SmartThings Find feature will only be available on Galaxy smartphones running Android 8.0 Oreo or later, Galaxy Watches running Tizen 5.5 or later, the Galaxy Buds+, and the Galaxy Buds Live. The BLE finding capabilities of the service will be available on all supported devices, but the UWB feature will only be available on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 2. In case you have a supported device, you can download the latest version of the SmartThings app from the Play Store link below.

SmartThings (Free, Google Play) →

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