Google’s Find Hub app to get satellite location sharing: Here’s how it could work

At this year’s Google I/O, the tech giant announced that it is renaming Android’s Find My Device network to Find Hub and that it would have satellite connectivity, at least in some capacity. Now, new strings of code found in the Find Hub app are giving us a glimpse of how the new functionality would work.
According to a recent APK teardown by Android Authority, Google Find Hub v3.1.399-3 release has a few text strings which clearly refer to the upcoming functionality. The publication said that when Android users share their location with others using the Find Hub app, the app will send a “one-off ping with your location”, which means it won’t continuously transmit your location in real-time, but instead drop a pin like Google Maps.
The code also suggests that Find Hub’s satellite location sharing feature won’t be used as a replacement for contacting emergency services in areas with no network. Another thing to note is that while Find Hub will let you send single location pings to people you are sharing your location with, the app will also update your location every 15 minutes, but you may have to manually update it by coming back to the app.
As it turns out, there may be a daily limit to how many times you can ping your location using satellites, but currently, we have no idea what it will be. But given that satellite connectivity is pretty limited and expensive to maintain, these restrictions sound fairly reasonable. Google will also reportedly show how many pings a user has left for the day and how much more time they will have to wait before being able to use the feature again.
Google had announced that Find Hub will be getting satellite connectivity sometime later, but the tech giant has yet to share a timeline on when it will be rolling out to everyone. However, some speculations suggest that the feature would be announced it at the upcoming Made by Google event, where the tech giant will be launching the much-anticipated Pixel 10 series phones.
Looking Ahead: Potential Expansions and Challenges
Looking forward, insiders speculate that Find Hub could incorporate AI-driven predictions for location requests, such as suggesting shares based on calendar events. This would build on the satellite features teased in the aforementioned Android Authority teardown, enabling offline functionality that could prove invaluable in disaster-prone areas.
Ultimately, Google’s location request tool represents a subtle yet significant step toward more connected digital lives. By addressing the reciprocity gap in sharing, it could enhance safety and convenience, but only if implemented with robust privacy controls. As the service matures, its success will hinge on user trust, a factor Google has historically navigated with varying degrees of success.