Earlier this year, Google announced that its Find Hub platform (formerly Find My Device) would eventually integrate satellite connectivity in some capacity. Now, thanks to an APK teardown from Android Authority, we’re seeing evidence that Google is laying the foundation to get that functionality up and running. Code found in the Find My app also offers a glimpse into how satellite connectivity will work.
As described by code tucked in version 3.1.399-3 of the Find Hub app, in-development satellite connectivity in Find Hub will allow you to “send a one-time location update” to a contact when you don’t have access to cellular connectivity.
Find Hub location sharing seems like a bit of a last-ditch option if you find yourself in need of help in the wild. In case of an emergency scenario, Find Hub will advise you to try calling emergency services, even if your phone shows you don’t have connectivity. If that call doesn’t go through, a string of text in Find Hub’s code says, “you’ll see an option to use Satellite SOS.”
Other strings make clear that you’re able to manually share your location with a contact once every 15 minutes — it’s not a real-time tracking option. The code also says there’ll be some limitations on how many location pings you can send per day, though the strings Android Authority shared don’t include specifics about those constraints.
Not yet clear when this feature is coming
Google shared its intention to integrate satellite connectivity into Find Hub months ago, in May. Android Authority uncovering mentions of those features in code in the latest version of the app indicates Google is making progress, but we still don’t know how soon to expect these features on our own devices.
The next Made by Google event is just a week away, so it’s possible Find Hub’s satellite connectivity will debut alongside the Pixel 10. We don’t have to wait much longer to find out.
