Google Find Hub Adds Left-Behind Alerts for Android Tracker Tags

Google has started rolling out left-behind alerts for tracker tags in its Find Hub app on Android. Once the option is on, your phone sends a notification when a tag moves out of range, so you can find out you forgot your keys or bag before you get far from them.

According to 9to5Google, the alert is showing up for Chipolo trackers and the Moto Tag in version 3.1.787-06 of Find Hub for Android. The outlet saw it for users in both the US and Europe. Google had previewed the feature in October.

How to turn on left-behind alerts in Find Hub

The setting is stored separately for each tag. Open the Find Hub app and tap the tag you want to set up. A panel slides up from the bottom of the screen. Tap the gear icon in its top-right corner to open the tag’s settings.

There you should see a new section called “Notify when left behind.” Switch it on and Find Hub will warn you whenever that tag is separated from your phone. You need to repeat this for every tag you own, since the option is set per device.

Google adds one exception by default: you will not get alerts at the Home address saved in your Google Account, the same one Google Maps uses. Leaving a tagged bag or wallet at home will not set off a stream of notifications.

Which devices get the alert, and which do not

For now the option appears only for tracker tags. 9to5Google reported that it does not show up for other kinds of devices on the Find Hub network, such as headphones. If you use Find Hub mainly to keep track of earbuds, this update does not change anything for you yet.

If the section is missing on a Chipolo tracker or a Moto Tag, check which version of Find Hub your phone runs. The alert was spotted in version 3.1.787-06.

What it means for Android tracker owners

Separation alerts are one of the most basic jobs a tracker can do, and Find Hub went without them for a long time. 9to5Google called it a capability the network should have had for its devices from the start. Until now, Android users with tags on the network could look up where an item was last seen, but the app would not warn them when they walked away from it.

The default home exception makes the feature practical for daily use. The alerts cover the times you walk away from something somewhere else, without firing every time you put your keys down at home.

More Find Hub changes Google has described

Google first described the feature as “Left-Behind Reminders” in its release notes for Google Play services. Those notes say the reminders should also appear in a new registration flow for adding devices. That flow is set to include picking a category icon for a tag, such as Bike, Luggage or Wallet, and renaming tags.

Google also listed NFC support as an upcoming addition. With it, tapping a tag against your phone should bring up that tag’s details and settings, or help identify a lost tag that someone has found. Google has not said when the NFC feature or the new registration flow will arrive.

Source: 9to5Google