Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Summary
- Google has introduced the Find people feature within the Find Hub app for Wear OS.
- The feature indicates who can monitor your location, although sharing must be initiated from a phone.
- If you own an LTE watch, your location can still be monitored even when your phone isn’t with you.
The newly launched Find people function for Wear OS appears somewhat limited at first glance. Users cannot initiate location sharing directly from their watch, nor can they access a map displaying another person’s location. However, the primary purpose seems to be allowing others to track your movements when your phone is not accessible.
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According to 9to5Google, the Find people feature is now available on Wear OS via the Find Hub app, though most of the setup remains on the phone. If you haven’t set up location sharing, your watch will simply display an “Open on phone” prompt. After initiating location sharing with a contact through your phone’s Find Hub, that person will show up on your watch under “Can see your location,” along with the duration of the sharing session. This operates using Google’s existing Location Sharing framework, similar to what was integrated when location tracking was added to Find My Device.
The most convenient aspect arises if your watch has LTE and you leave your phone behind. In this scenario, the watch can independently share your location via GPS, allowing the person you’ve shared it with to still see your whereabouts. This feature is particularly useful for activities like jogging without carrying your phone.
This explains why Find people may seem quite basic on the watch. Its functionality doesn’t aim to create a reciprocal tracking system. If you wish to see someone else’s location, the watch directs you to your phone instead. The emphasis with Wear OS is primarily on ensuring your own location is visible to those you’ve designated.
A Location Sharing control feature is available on the watch. Activating it for the first time prompts explanatory screens detailing how it operates, and disabling it will stop the watch from sharing your location through Google apps. Google clarifies that simply revoking location permissions from Find people does not discontinue Location Sharing on the device.
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