The Google Pixel 8 will support Android's Powered Off Finding feature, which will let you locate your phone even when it's turned off
      • doctortofu@reddthat.comEnglish
        20·
        9 months ago

        Nooooo, but it’s all for your security and convenience, see? They know better than you when to turn your device on or off, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it one bit! Plus, I bet it also protects the children and prevents terrorism too! Why would you turn your device off, are you like a terrorist pedophile or something? /s

  • LWD@lemm.eeEnglish
    92·
    9 months ago

    That’s great.

    I like a phone that’s able to just run little Bluetooth beacons when it’s powered off. Especially ones that can’t be disabled except by disassembling it.

        • nothing@lemm.eeEnglish
          5·
          9 months ago

          Or it isn’t really “off” and they’re faking it.

          But yes, you’re probably right that it’s something lower level.

        • circuscriticEnglish
          4·
          9 months ago

          Depends if this is already baked into the firmware the device shipped with and is just being pushed into user space with a software update, or if the update is also pushing out the firmware to add it.

          If it’s former, then yeah, probably SOL.

          But if it’s the latter, it might be possible to get avoid and even get Android 15 ROMS that strip out those parts.

        • LWD@lemm.eeEnglish
          3·
          9 months ago

          I’d be surprised if custom ROMs were a thing on the Google Pixel, which is the most likely phone company to allow such a thing to begin with. After all, their Pixels are still technically developer phones, AFAIK.

          • noodlejetski@lemm.eeEnglish
            9·
            9 months ago

            Pixels are one of the best phones for using custom ROMs. GrapheneOS, one of the most popular ROMs focused solely on privacy, only supports Pixels.

              • noodlejetski@lemm.eeEnglish
                5·
                9 months ago

                we all thank you for your service of taking a part of a sentence I wrote and refuting it outside of its context.

                • notfromhere@lemmy.mlEnglish
                  2·
                  9 months ago

                  He brings up good points albeit not relevant to the discussion. One thing that really irks me about Pixel phones is lack of external display support. I really want a smartphone that can replace my laptop. Samsung Dex shows promise by why aren’t the main OS developers doing anything there?

    • sunstoned@lemmus.orgEnglish
      1·
      9 months ago

      I wish pinephone pro’s weren’t booty. Hardware switches to cut power to everything from the WiFi module to the camera sounds pretty hot in light of this.

  • alphafalcon@feddit.deEnglish
    84·
    9 months ago

    That feature is right on the border between real neat tech and deeply unsettling.

    “Hey, my phone uses its last few electrons to turn into a bluetooth beacon to stay findable” sounds like sci-fi “reserve power emergency mode”

    “I can’t turn off the locator chip in a device that holds half my life and memories” is just dystopian.

    I’m wondering if there would be a way to keep it useful while minimizing impact for people who stay off the grid. A hardware switch would probably be a good start but they won’t fly with current all-touch designs.

    • Bitrot@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      8·
      9 months ago

      It will be seen how they implement it, but since Google is creating their own version of the Find My network, it will likely be tied to activating that. If it’s anything like the way the iPhone does it, disabling Find My would turn it off, they might (should) also provide the option to turn it off when powering down your phone.

    • smeg@feddit.ukEnglish
      4·
      9 months ago

      minimizing impact for people who stay off the grid

      People who stay off the grid don’t have smartphones!

      As much as we enthusiasts like to try and have our cake and eat it too, the only way to really be completely private/secure/anonymous is to be completely disconnected. Threat models and compromises and all that.

  • bier@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    36·
    9 months ago

    Great we finaly get the features that the NSA has been saying is “classified” Big step for open spying for everyone

  • iturnedintoanewt@lemm.eeEnglish
    32·
    9 months ago

    How about letting damn alarms to run even when the phone is turned off? We lost this ancient feature moving away from dumb phones.

    • ky56@aussie.zoneEnglish
      9·
      9 months ago

      You know what’s funny. I was investigating the hardware datasheets for the PinePhone and looking at the RTC module and just like PC RTC chips there is an option to trigger an interrupt/power on when a certain time is met. That means that there appears to be no reason this couldn’t be a current feature on probably all modern smartphones. Just lack of software support.

      • iturnedintoanewt@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        9 months ago

        That’s good to know! Maybe the open source community can work something out. Google certainly won’t bother with what’s in essence the most purely offline functionality. It’s not in their interest to have phones offline (case in point, the update mentioned here).

    • qdJzXuisAndVQb2@lemm.eeEnglish
      6·
      9 months ago

      But how otherwise to convince people to always leave their surveillance devices phones switched on?! I had a oneplus 3t that would wake itself for alarms, shame it broke eventually.

      • bitwolf@lemmy.oneEnglish
        2·
        9 months ago

        I heard Samsungs can as well. However I nor anyone I know have ever owned a Samsung in order to verify.

  • mctoasterson@reddthat.comEnglish
    25·
    9 months ago

    More of Google copying Apples worst features. Apple iPhones that are “off” simply become Airtags. This is functionality that works for big tech and not the end user. We need to push back on this shit.

      • mctoasterson@reddthat.comEnglish
        2·
        9 months ago

        Patronize alternative products and services. The growth of GrapheneOS, Calyx, and other alternative phone operating systems is significant and shows there is a market. Hopefully privacy respecting hardware can follow.

    • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      9 months ago

      We need to stop normalizing the idea that you can go about your day carrying some big tech tracking device on your person and maintain privacy!

      If you’re protesting, you should be bringing no phone > or a dumb phone > or a completely clean install.

      Regardless of which option you choose, if you’re carrying any phone to a protest you should be carrying a faraday bag. They cost like $5 people! If you can afford a phone, you can afford a faraday bag.

  • zeppo@lemmy.worldEnglish
    17·
    9 months ago

    This saved me on an iPhone before. I lost my phone outside a bar miles from my house, and didn’t notice at the time. The next day I was able to track it and go retrieve it despite that the battery was dead. Otherwise I never would have seen it again.

  • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    9 months ago

    Wasn’t some spy company just caught selling info of people whose phones pinged near family planning clinics? If I turn my phone off, I want it off, dammit. Bring back phones that let us remove the battery just to make sure.

    • Churbleyimyam@lemm.eeEnglish
      7·
      9 months ago

      You can do that with Fairphones. In fact you can take the whole screen off them in the dark with your bare hands. Also, they have two SIM slots which I think is a pro for privacy.

      • solrize@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        9 months ago

        Nice phone but too expensive for most users imo. We need sub $200 phones with removable batteries.

        Another thing, I got a new phone about 3 months ago but the old one still has some unmigrated info on it. So once in a while I power it on to access something. It has stayed charged because there isn’t a battery sucking Bluetooth beacon running when the phone is off. I’d hate to have to keep charging the phone when it’s just sitting in a drawer.