Google is working on improving Bluetooth on Android. Bluetooth is a technology that has revolutionized wireless connectivity, but as flexible as it is, it is still lacking in some areas, particularly when it comes to location data.
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Now it seems that Google is about to make Bluetooth technology more efficient in this field, as it is working on a new API for measuring distance.
Google is working to make it easier to find bluetooth accessories
The new API will use Bluetooth RSSI, or the received signal strength indicator, to measure the distance between your smartphone and connected Bluetooth devices.
Google is already adding the relevant code to the AOSP and while it won’t be highly accurate with distance measurements, it should be able to detect if your smartphone is more or less than 1 meter away from connected Bluetooth devices.
This new feature should help the user find a lost bluetooth headset nearby sooner.
Unfortunately the module related to this functionality cannot be changed in Android 13, so we will have to wait for at least Android 14 to see a complete implementation, however it seems that something similar will be used for the Watch Unlock feature for Pixel Watch that Google showed at CES 2023.
