Galaxy S26 May Already Trail Pixel in Key Feature
▼ Summary
– Logs from a Google employee confirm the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra does not support Bluetooth-based, powered-off tracking via Google’s Find Hub network.
– Google’s Find My Device network (Find Hub) can locate phones after they are powered off, but this feature is currently exclusive to Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 8 series.
– Samsung’s own SmartThings Find has an “offline” feature, but this only works without mobile data or Wi-Fi and requires the phone to still be powered on.
– The lack of support for Google’s powered-off tracking is consistent, as the previous Galaxy S25 series also did not include this capability.
– For powered-off tracking to work on supported devices, Bluetooth and Location must be enabled before the phone is shut down.
A key advantage of Google’s Pixel phones may remain exclusive for another generation, potentially leaving Samsung’s upcoming flagship behind. New evidence suggests the Galaxy S26 Ultra will not support Google’s powered-off device tracking feature, a capability that has been a Pixel exclusive since the Pixel 8 series. This revelation comes from a technical log posted by a Google employee, highlighting a persistent gap in functionality between the two Android giants.
The log entry, found on Google’s public Issue Tracker, contained a simple but telling line of code: `[ro.bluetooth.finder.supported]: [false]`. This indicates the test device, a Galaxy S26 Ultra, lacks the necessary hardware or software integration for Bluetooth-based location tracking when the phone is completely shut down. This feature is a cornerstone of Google’s upgraded Find My Device network, now known as Find Hub.
Find Hub allows a lost phone to broadcast a Bluetooth signal for several hours after being powered off, using nearby Android devices as a mesh network to relay its location. For this to work, Bluetooth and location services must be active before the device is turned off. Despite the network’s broad rollout over a year ago, powered-off tracking has so far been confined to Google’s own Pixel lineup. The Galaxy S25 series also did not support this specific function, and it now appears the S26 will follow suit.
Samsung offers its own alternative called SmartThings Find, which includes an “offline finding” mode. It is important to clarify what this means. The “offline” label refers to the phone being located without an active mobile data or Wi-Fi connection, not to the device being powered down. The phone must still be on and logged into a Samsung account. In this mode, other nearby Galaxy devices detect the lost phone’s Bluetooth signal and report its location to Samsung’s servers. However, once the phone’s battery dies or it is manually switched off, this tracking capability ceases entirely.
This creates a clear functional divide. Pixel users have the assurance that their device can be located for a period even if it’s turned off, perhaps after being stolen. Samsung Galaxy users, relying on SmartThings Find, lose that ability the moment the screen goes black. The log discovery implies that Samsung has not yet integrated the specialized Bluetooth hardware or the low-power firmware required for Google’s solution, despite both companies being core partners in the broader Find My Device network.
For consumers choosing between top-tier Android phones, this represents a tangible difference in security and peace of mind. While Samsung’s ecosystem provides robust tracking within its own parameters, the absence of powered-off support in Google’s network means a Galaxy device becomes significantly harder to find once it’s shut down. As the S26 series development continues, this feature omission could be a notable point of comparison when the phones officially launch.
(Source: Android Authority)
