As of about a day ago, Google’s reasonably new Find My network just got more useful. [Leon Böttger] released his re-implementation of the Android tracker network: GoogleFindMyTools. Most interestingly for us, there is example code to turn an ESP32 into a trackable object. Let the games begin!
Everything is in its first stages here, and not everything has been implemented yet, but you are able to query devices for their keys, and use this to decrypt their latest location beacons, which is the main use case.
The ESP32 code appears not to support MAC address randomization just yet, so it’s possibly more trackable than it should be, but if you’re just experimenting with the system, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The README also notes that you might need to re-register after three days of use. We haven’t gotten to play with it just yet. Have you?
If you’re worried about the privacy implications of yet another ubiquitous tracking system out there, you’re not alone. Indeed, [Leon] was one of the people working on the Air Guard project, which let iPhone users detect trackers of all sorts around them. Anyone know if there’s something like that for Android?
Thanks [Lars] for the hot tip!
I’d rather ferment mayo into vodka than use Google services.
For science!
I am reminded of a Canadian “vodka” made using milk iirc.
also: same
Same.
LoL Seethe
I’m just now realizing that every ‘seethe’ comment is written by someone that’s seething
AirGuard is also available for Android:
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.seemoo.at_tracking_detection/
Yay!
Oh dear. It looks like I even wrote about this a few years back: https://hackaday.com/2022/02/26/you-break-it-we-fix-it/
I went looking for it, but didn’t find it. Somehow the web searchers are only coming up with the iPhone version…
Or in the White And Red and Blue Land?
Google is the devil, and now their great “engineers” are working on new ways to kill their fellow humans with AI, what lovely people they are.
Google is an Ad company 1st and foremost, they have trashed the internet. They track everyone on Android, Search, Fitbit, Youtube, Chrome etc and they collect and use far more personal data on us, than any threat the Chinese could possibly offer. Use Google at your peril, if you could see everything they know about you, including all the things you think you’ve deleted or hidden, you would cry your eyes out.
It’s hard… I hate Google, but I have been letting it track me for 15-20 years, and I refer to my history often. I can see a map of every place I have ever been, my photos there, see how many times are what dates an my reviews. I can pull up web history or a voicemail that I remember from June of 2008. How would I possibly retain the ability to do those things without Google?
They serve this white atheist male ads for “burkinis” (Islamic swimwear for women).
I’m not that worried about what they think to know about me.
Why don’t you embrace the kink they’re offering you? It would make ads more relevant… for a while at least. Perhaps once you become a religious almost-woman dressed in a burkini (hey, at least it supports your moobs!) then you’ll start getting ads for Kemppi welders and Makita power tools.
Lol who remembers “Don’t be evil.” ?
Who also remember thinking at the time that their next slogan would be “Do as we say and not as we do.”?
I don’t think it works in fictional places.
Awww.. there there
Remember “Don’t be evil”? That was so long ago.
If it’s profitable..
A slogan for the credulous from an ad company.
Thank God, not everyone wants to be brainwashed.
Nobody ever brain washed you and the ” wrong crowd ” ain’t the reason you are like you are babe. Try again. You are like you are because you are just that way, but don’t go trying to put it n someone else. And you put me thru all that crap so you try that davon again!?!?!?? Mercedez!!!!! I’m so ashamed of you?!
The only free speech platform left is 9gag.
It’s a lot nicer than most, but they still remove a ton of memes they don’t like. Anything that goes against china is removed, some meme formats are instantly removed. But at least it’s not as horrible as imgur. Especially it’s users.
Cool!
Some time ago I wanted to do the opposite: ring an android phone using Find My Device from a gadget (e.g. you want to have a big red button on your desktop that you push and makes the phone ring even if it is in silent mode). Unfortunately never found a way to do this.
Simplest way to do this it to use the Google Assistant. If not a fan of having home/nest speakers laying around there is a nice HomeAssistant add-in that emulates one. You feed it text and it sends it to Google as if you were talking to one of their devices. You can then make an automation in HA that asks Google to find your phone. Your phone will then turn on full volume and ring. You can use ESP Home to assign a physical button on an ESP to the automation and bob is your mother’s brother!
There are numerous services that can do just that, most are now paid, but if you only want local then Tasker is probably your best bet to roll a solution on Android.
It’s definitely doable. My Casio watch (it has Bluetooth and an app so it’s easier to change time zones and set alarms) has a function to make my phone ring if I hold a button on it.
Yeah, I have a Samsung smartwatch and it also has that function, but it does it through the app on the phone. I would like having a solution that is only deployed on an MCU like the ESP32.
A key release for a first few experimenters. Loads of people are going to want to try this ultimately, Leon. Great work, thanks muchly!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.seemoo.at_tracking_detection.release
Sirguard for Android.
There are far worse things Google has done to be anrgy about, remember when they censored links to the Great Barrington Declaration? But anger at Google does not detract from how interesting this project is, well done Leon.
If you can’t expect ideological consistency from the good guys AND the bad guys, just who CAN you expect it from?
Clown world
Good lord, the amount of people acting like a corporation is the girlfriend that just dumped them here is depressing.
I was thinking the same thing! So much hatred for a company that offers a “free” service whilst scraping your personal data.
Wasn’t their slogan “Don’t Be Evil”?
I always though that was their warning.
Key word “was”
Open Haystack on esp32 is another option
That only works with the Apple network, AFAIK?
Pop a tranq, I have them to spare. Build a copper screen faraday shield. Dollar Tree has aluminum hat thought protection for a buck and a quarter plus tax. Wb2tev, buzzards bay Marconi STEM club, it’s only radio…
anyone get it to setup from linux machine? gets locked up by Google security when registering?