Google's Find Hub offline tracking is so accurate it's actually scary

I'm quietly proud that I've never actually needed Google's Find Hub or Find My Device, as it was previously known.

While I'm constantly asking my Google Home devices to ring my phone, it's more to save time I'd otherwise spend digging through various pockets. Until this week, I've never had to rely on theFind Hub network.

I was keen to try Google's upgraded device location network since it launched offline tracking for devices. However, I wasn't going to tempt fate by deliberately losing my devices.

I've tried testing it in controlled environments, but it wasn't until I lost myGoogle Pixel Buds Pro 2this week that I got my first real test of the feature.

Offline location tracking is phenomenal

I could watch my Pixel Buds Pro 2 travel around the city

Because I've never managed to find a case that works for me, I carry around my Pixel Buds Pro 2 as Google brought them into the world. Bare, naked, with no strap or carabiner to secure them.

Thus, my smooth, egg-like earbud case has been the device most likely to scamper away from the security of my pockets. It would also be near impossible to find if lost, were it not for Find Hub and offline device tracking.

Thus, when I noticed, to my dismay, that my precious earbuds were no longer in one of about 50 locations I leave them around my apartment, I scurried straight to the Find Hub app for help.

I wasn't hopeful, as strangely, Google doesn't advertise that these earbuds are compatible with the Find Hub network.

After some digging, I found a reference to this feature buried in Google's support pages. A bizarre decision, considering how brilliant it is, but I digress. There are a huge number of devices you can nowtrack on the Find Hub website.

As soon as I opened the Find Hub app and tapped my earbuds, they immediately pinged a location. Unable to reach them at the moment, I watched, mesmerized, as the app tracked them along Nottingham's tram line, along roads, and finally to a house.

Having tracked my culprit to his home, I watched the next day as he got back on the tram and headed to my place of work.

"Aha!" I thought to myself. I must have dropped them at work, where they were picked up by a nefarious coworker who had decided to keep them for themselves.

But, as I was soon to discover, the criminal in question had subtler motives. In fact, they had no idea they had stolen them.

Tracking my lost earbuds to the meter was impressive, but it wasn't all golden

I wish the play sound feature worked remotely

The Find Hub app tracked the earbuds to within meters of their actual location. Thus, I was able to identify the exact office in which they were hidden.

So, I hatched a plan to catch the culprit. Still working from home, I sent messages to my trusted coworkers, asking them to watch out quietly and listen for any ringing.

The Find Hub app lets me ring my Pixel Buds Pro 2. It's a nifty feature that works well, with one major catch. You have to be near it with a linked device to make the sound. Useful if you've lost them in your bedroom, less useful if you've tasked others to hunt them down.

However, there is a share ownership option in the Find Hub app, which would have let anyone ring and track the earbuds. At this point, however, I was interfering too much with their work, so I let them go.

My plan foiled, and my accomplices were unable to identify the criminal mastermind. I watched the app in despair as the earbuds left work, got on the tram, and came to my apartment.

What had happened was that a coworker had dropped them into his bag without realizing. So when he came by to drop off another item for my flatmate, I intercepted them and, after a non-violent confrontation, found the earbuds at last!

It's also worth noting that the house I tracked the earbuds to was his.

Google's Find Hub network is remarkably effective

As amusing as the situation was, I walked away with a newfound respect for the Find Hub network.

While I was aware of its capabilities in tracking "live" devices like phones or smartwatches, it was the offline tracking that really impressed me.

My Pixel Buds Pro 2 could be tracked to the meter and play sounds despite their limited connectivity.

I only wish I had been able to test the share ownership tool more. However, I love the idea that you can temporarily (sharing lasts for 24 hours) give trusted friends the ability to locate your items for you.

However, I did check the lost message tool, which shows a notification with your phone number and an optional message when someone taps their phone to your lost device.

The catch here is that I've never seen this feature advertised, so it's unlikely that people's first instinct when finding a lost item would be to tap their phone on it.

Overall, I'm seriously impressed with how easy it was to track my offline device through the Find Hub network. While it's taught me to secure my devices better, I won't panic as much if they go missing again.