With AI, Google Lets Users Keep Track of Personal Items Without Tracking Devices

Google continues to make it easier for users to locate important items they may forget at home or in the office, with the launch of a new feature that allows Android users to rely on its Gemini AI assistant to save the location of their belongings and retrieve that information later, without having to purchase a physical tracking device.

Bluetooth trackers such as Apple’s AirTag and Samsung’s SmartTag2 have already provided practical solutions for keeping track of valuable belongings. However, they require users to purchase a separate device. The SmartTag2, for instance, costs around $29.99, while a four-pack is priced at approximately $99.99.

To offer a simpler alternative, Google announced on September 1 that users can now use Gemini to remember where they have placed their belongings through its Find Hub service.

The feature relies on manual input from the user, who must first tell the assistant where an item has been placed. For example, a user can say that their passport is stored in a bedroom drawer. They can also optionally attach a photo showing the item in its specific location.

In the background, Gemini automatically saves the name and location of the item in Find Hub. When the user later asks where the item is, the information can be retrieved immediately. The feature is available on devices running Android 16 and later, provided the user is located in a region where both Gemini and Find Hub, formerly known as Find My Device, are supported.

Despite its usefulness, the new feature does not make dedicated tracking devices unnecessary. Its effectiveness is largely limited to items kept in fixed locations inside homes or offices. It becomes less useful when belongings are moved by other people or during travel, particularly for moving items such as luggage at an airport.

To support real-time tracking, Google is also preparing to launch its own dedicated device, the Pixel Tag, starting November 11, after unveiling it during its event in August.

The new feature is part of a package of exclusive additions announced by Google as part of its September Android Drop update. The update includes four other features, including Motion Assist for Android 17, designed to reduce symptoms of motion sickness while travelling by car through an animated bubble displayed on the screen that can be customized in terms of colour, shape and transparency.

The update also adds Guided Vision to Gemini Live, providing visual descriptions through the camera to assist people with visual impairments, particularly when reading menus and food packaging.

Other additions include the ability to create collaborative notes through Google Keep and edit them during conversations in Google Messages, as well as new options for customizing chat themes, colours and backgrounds.