Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
In today’s digital age, the security of our smartphones is more important than ever. With Android’s Find My Device network and Apple’s Find My network providing tracking for lost or stolen devices, many users wonder: can you still track a phone if it’s turned off? This question is particularly relevant when it comes to theft situations, where having the ability to locate a powered-off phone can be a game-changer.
I recently tested this out with my Pixel 9 Pro and compared its offline tracking capability with other devices like the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Moto Tag to see how long you can track a Pixel after it’s turned off.
My Tracking Test Setup: Pixel vs iPhone vs Moto Tag
I’ve tested various Bluetooth trackers like the AirTags, Galaxy SmartTag2, and other Google Find My Device-compatible trackers in the past. So, when my colleague Luka asked if I had ever tested Google’s phone-off finding feature, I was curious to put it to the test myself.
For this test, I used the Pixel 9 Pro as the subject, with the iPhone 13 Pro Max as a control device (since it uses Apple’s Find My network) and the Moto Tag for comparison. The goal was to track their locations after they were powered off and see how accurately and how long they would be visible on their respective networks.
Test 1: Pixel 9 Pro vs Moto Tag vs iPhone 13 Pro Max
Test 1: Pixel 9 Pro vs Moto Tag vs iPhone 13 Pro Max
To start, I powered off the phones and trackers at 3 AM. The Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max both had plenty of battery left, while I removed the battery from the Moto Tag to simulate a similar “shut-off” situation. I then sent the devices off with my husband as he went to work.
Here’s how the test unfolded:
-
3 AM: I powered off the phones and removed the Moto Tag’s battery.
-
9 AM: The iPhone was updating its location regularly, showing its proximity to my husband’s work.
-
11 AM: The Moto Tag started updating its location, though it took a bit longer to show.
-
11:25 AM: The Pixel 9 Pro was still stuck at the “last seen” location from 2:56 AM (my home). It hadn’t updated once in the 9 hours since it was powered off.
At this point, I realized something was wrong. The Pixel 9 Pro wasn’t updating its location while the iPhone and Moto Tag worked as expected. As the day went on, the Pixel 9 Pro continued to show “last seen at 2:56 AM,” even though it was physically with my husband all day.
By 8:15 PM, the Pixel finally updated its location to “seen at home” — but this was hours after the phone was actually back with me.
Takeaway: While the iPhone and Moto Tag updated their locations during the day, the Pixel 9 Pro struggled, with a significant delay in showing its location even after being right next to me.
More tests: Pixel 9 Pro Fold on Android 15 stable
After the failure of the first test, I decided to try again, this time with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which was running Android 15 stable. This device was turned off and kept with me in a backpack while I went about my day in Paris.
-
6:22 PM: I powered off the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and packed it with me.
-
9 PM: The phone updated its location correctly, showing it was near me.
-
Next Day: The phone continued to show its correct location.
For a brief moment, it seemed that this test would work as expected. But as the day went on, the phone’s location seemed to freeze up. At one point, I noticed that the location was last updated at 1:49 PM (at home), while it was physically with me halfway across Paris.
Takeaway: Even though the phone was with me the entire time, the location was still showing as “home,” only updating correctly two days later.
Is it just me? Maybe I’m cursed.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Conclusions from My Experiment: Can You Track a Pixel After It’s Off?
The results of these tests were mixed, and the feature isn’t as reliable as I expected. The iPhone and Moto Tag tracked their locations consistently, even when powered off, but the Pixel 9 Pro experienced significant delays and failures when trying to update its location. There was a consistent issue where the Pixel would show the “last seen” location but not update properly — sometimes hours later or not at all.
Even with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold running Android 15 stable, I encountered issues with offline tracking. The phone occasionally failed to show its real-time location, and it wasn’t until days later that it updated correctly.
The Big Question: Can You Trust Find My Device in a Theft Situation?
If my phone had been stolen, I would not have been able to track it efficiently. The delays in location updates and inconsistent functionality make Google’s Find My Device network less reliable than I’d hoped — especially compared to Apple’s Find My network, which offers more stable tracking even with powered-off devices.
While I can’t say the feature is completely unreliable, it definitely needs improvement before it can be trusted for use in serious situations, like phone theft.
Read our previous article: What Happens To Used F1 Tires After A Race