It was a long time coming, but Google finally rolled out its upgraded Find My Device network in May — despite having some noticeably missing features found in Apple's Find My network. However, Google already seems to be working behind the scenes to add ultra-wideband support equivalent to Apple's AirTags and AR-based location detection.

It found code references for UWB and AR support in the latest version of the Find My Device app, according to the good people at Android Authority. The string in the app's code refers to the UWB adapter's "precision search" and mentions an additional "library" about apps that support UWB. 

That's not a guarantee that Google plans to bring it to the Find My Device network, but that's a promising sign. Many of the best Android phones support UWB, but Google's Find My Device network launched without uwb. This short-range wireless communication protocol works like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to allow devices to communicate with each other.UWB connections have the advantage of packing more powerful connections with lower power consumption. This makes it ideal for features such as Precision Finding in Apple AirTags, as it allows you to give accurate instructions to your lost device up to a few feet from the location. 

The Android Authority also found references to code related to augmented reality (ar) functionality via the ARCore software development kit. Working in conjunction with Uwb support, the Find My Device app lets you overlay directions and icons on the user's camera feed to direct them to your lost device, similar to the Galaxy SmartTag2 feature. 

Even more interestingly, AR-based directions may not be exclusive to UWB-supported devices. The outlet noted that the strings that are in the code do not refer to the 2 methods as those that work together exclusively. As it stands, the Galaxy SmartTag2 will only work if you're using one of the best Samsung phones with Uwb tech 1. If Google's AR-based UI isn't limited to UWB trackers and devices, it could take a serious step into the competition, and the network ahead of both Samsung and Apple

Of course, this all remains a guess for now. Neither UWB support nor the AR-based location UI currently exists within the Find My Device app, and we don't know when Google will deploy them. However, Google appears to be committed to bringing some key features to the improved network, as we saw earlier this week in connection with Family Link, Google's parental control software.