Google has officially rolled out an ‘indoor maps’ feature on the ‘Find my device’ app where users can track their smartphones if they have accidentally dropped it somewhere. The feature is available to all Android users.
While the ‘Find my device’ app helps you locate your lost phone, with the new indoor maps feature, you can locate your phone in airports, malls, and a number of large buildings, although it hasn’t specified the type of buildings as yet.
“For indoor mapping, someone has to upload a floor plan to Google Maps and then set up some kind of indoor positioning system. Outdoor Google Maps can be powered by satellite imaging and photos from Street View cars, but there’s no such shortcut for indoor maps, which require each individual building owner to enter data. Today you’ll find indoor maps mostly for places like airports, malls, stadiums, and other large businesses. If you lose your device in one of these places and the indoor positioning system actually works, you’ll now be able to get a pinpoint location in Find My Device,” said the search engine giant.
‘Find my Device’ was launched last May as a part of Google’s built-in Malware protection for Android. It helps users locate lost devices and lock it until the user gets it back. Users can see their smart devices on maps based on their current or last location. They can also navigate their devices on Google Maps – play a sound at full volume, even if the device is on silent mode or lock it with a custom message and contact number on lock screen.
