Google Assistant now supports Tile trackers, making it easier for users within both ecosystems to locate their lost stuff.
In an announcement on Monday, Google says the Assistant can now be used to request the location for the tagged items like laptops, backpack rings, house keys, wallets and everything in between.
The company says the voice commands will be available on any of the compatible Nest-branded smart devices, such as the Nest Mini or Nest Hub. Naturally, if the Tile tracker is in range, it will ring out following the vocal request, enabling users to track down their errant possession. Google also says that if the Nest speaker can’t located the device, it’ll reveal the last known position.
Related: Tile Mate review
In a blog post, the company says: “If the Tile is at home, you can use your Nest device to determine the last location your Tile was seen. For example, you may get a response like “Your keys were last seen today at 9pm near the Kitchen speaker.” And if you left your Tile somewhere else, the Assistant will tell you the street address of where your Tile was last seen based on Tile’s location services.”
The announcement comes almost 18 months after Tile revealed compatibility with Apple’s Siri personal assistant, and as Apple reportedly plans to launch its own version of the tech pioneered and popularised by Tile.
According to recent leaks, Apple plans to call the Tile-rival AirTag and utilise the U1 ultra wideband chip within the new iPhone handsets. If Apple were able to include this technology, it could potentially provide more accurate, pinpoint location data.
We’re not sure when Apple plans to launch the AirTags yet, or precisely how they will work, but recent lines of code within iOS 13, suggest the launch will be sooner rather than later.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
