TL;DR
- Google has explained why it removed Find Hub support from first-generation Googlebooks, citing differences between how phones and laptops handle device tracking.
- The company says the Android app isn’t optimized for tracking laptops, especially when they’re closed and asleep.
- Googlebook owners can still use the Find Hub website to locate other devices, but Google hasn’t clarified whether their laptops can be tracked or if a replacement is coming.
Googlebooks have had their share of early software frustrations, but the recent removal of Find Hub support raised a particularly uncomfortable question. How do you find your expensive new laptop if it goes missing? Google initially offered no explanation for the decision, leaving owners wondering whether the feature was broken or being abandoned. We’ve now heard back from the company, and its explanation sheds some light on what happened.
In a statement to Android Authority, Google explained that Find Hub was primarily designed for mobile devices, which have different tracking requirements than laptops: