Samsung's SmartThings Find Can Locate Even Offline Galaxy Devices
Hot on the heels of a related app, Samsung has launched a new SmartThings Find service that helps users to locate their Galaxy devices in the event that they misplace them. What's more, Galaxy devices don't even need to be online to be located. The service is part of the new SmartThings app, which was launched by Samsung earlier this month.
The SmartThings app replaced Samsung's Smart View app, which allowed users to control their Samsung TVs. That functionality has now been bundled into the SmartThings app, which allows users to control all sorts of smart devices around their home, such as lights and thermostats. The addition of the SmartThings Find service extends the functionality of the app and provides a central place for the control of Samsung devices and for locating certain Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds, down to each individual earbud.
The devices that are compatible with the service are Galaxy smartphones and tablets running Android 8 or later, Galaxy Watch devices running Tizen 5.5 or later, Galaxy Buds+ and Galaxy Buds Live. Users just need to register to use the service and then can be more confident of finding a device should it go missing. Unlike many other device locating services, though, SmartThings Find provides directions if they are needed, a trigger for a device to ring once nearby, an augmented reality (AR) location option, and the ability to find a device even if it's not online.
SmartThings Find uses both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies to locate devices. Users can now opt in to have their device Galaxy smartphone or tablet send out a BLE signal once it has been offline for 30 minutes or more and have any other opted in any Galaxy smartphone or tablet nearby securely relay the device's location to the user should the need arise. In turn, the user's opted-in device will be used to help others find their misplaced Galaxy smartphones or tablets.
To find a device, users just need to access SmartThings Find on a different smartphone, tablet or computer and, assuming all goes to plan, the exact location of the lost item will be shown on a map. Indeed, the mobile app can provide integrated map directions to help get the user to their device. And, one nearby, they can choose to either have their device ring or use the AR function, which displays color graphics that increase in intensity with proximity, to locate it more precisely. The service is one of the most, if not the most, fully loaded device location tools around.
Source: Samsung