This New Android API Could Pinpoint the Locations of Bluetooth Devices

Most people end up taking Bluetooth for granted, but in spite of the fact that this is the case it’s hard to overstate the kind of impact that this tech ended up having on how we transfer data and consume media. It made wireless data transfer much easier than might have been the case otherwise, and it has often been compared to the invention of the USB.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that Bluetooth is not without its fair share of flaws. The wireless tech has been put in jeopardy by the arrival of new tech such as UWB which is far more effective in terms of picking up the location of various devices it is connected to.

It turns out that Google is not ready to let Bluetooth suffer a slow demise. Many have spotted a new Android API that will help Bluetooth to detect whether or not a device is within one meter of the device that it has been connected to.

Such an update could prove useful because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up helping users find lost or misplaced Bluetooth devices. They might not be able to get an exact location since the API isn’t accurate enough, but they would still be able to get a fair idea of what direction they need to move in to locate it.
Chances are that we will have to wait for Android 14 before we get a full rollout of this feature. Google is still testing it out, but all signs point to it being an important feature in the next iteration of the Android operating system.

It will be interesting to see if this update manages to breathe some new life into Bluetooth. The tech has been in danger of getting surpassed, but if corporations like Google keep propping it up, it may be able to last a good long while with all things having been considered and taken into account.


H/T: Android Police.

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