Find Your Missing Galaxy Device With SmartThings

Samsung has updated its SmartThings app for devices running Android 8 or higher. Accompanying it, is the new SmartThings Find feature, which uses low powered Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)4 and ultra-wideband (UWB)5 technologies to find missing devices. This works on select Galaxy smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and earbuds.

“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,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Vice President and Head of SmartThings Team, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.

Opting-in to the programme requires you to complete a simple registration process. After this, your Samsung smartphone or tablet with the SmartThings Find feature enabled, can be used to locate missing Galaxy devices. Once a device has been offline for about 30 minutes, it emits a BLE signal that can be received by nearby devices.

A Galaxy device that is within range of said signal, will be able to alert a user to the location of a device that has been reported missing. Samsung says that SmartThings Find user data is encrypted and that the device’s location is only revealed to its owner. This is a good move because not many of us would be too comfortable with trusting strangers in locating our missing devices.

Once you’ve tagged a device as missing, the integrated map offers directions to said device’s location. It will be able to “ring” a lost device or show you the exact location on a map. Once you’re within range of the device, the AR-based Search Nearby function can be activated. This displays color graphics that increase in intensity when you are getting closer to your device.

Samsung’s SmartThings Find is available for use today, provided that your device has the updated app and is running Android 8 or higher. For more information about the SmartThings app and SmartThings Find service, please visit here.