OnePlus 13 might include this handy phone-finding feature from the Pixel 9

Key Takeaways

• OnePlus 13 may have powered-off tracking to combat phone theft.
• OnePlus 12 lacked hardware for this feature despite hints in the beta release.
• Google Pixel and iPhone already support this feature, but more brands are adopting it with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.

Losing your smartphone is more than just a financial setback. It also means the potential loss of personal data. That is why Google has implemented new theft protection features on Android, but thieves still have ways to disable these defenses. One common tactic is powering off the phone immediately, making it harder to track via Find My Device. However, it appears the upcoming OnePlus 13 might have a built-in feature to tackle this issue.

OnePlus released the Open Beta of OxygenOS 15 for OnePlus 12 last month before quickly rolling out the stable Android 15 update earlier this week. Interestingly, the beta release included a label in the power-off menu hinting that the phone could be tracked even when switched off. OnePlus, however, removed this from the stable release.

This means that, despite the hint in the beta release, the OnePlus 12 doesn’t actually support powered-off tracking. A OnePlus spokesperson told Android Authority that the OnePlus 12 lacks the necessary hardware for this feature. The OnePlus 12 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with Qualcomm’s FastConnect 7800 platform, and FastConnect 7800 doesn’t support powered-off tracking.

A Qualcomm spokesperson informed Mishaal Rahman that the FastConnect 7900 platform, part of the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, does support the powered-off tracking feature, but “it’s up to OEMs to implement and use it.” The OnePlus 13, which is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, was made official in China a few days ago, but it’s yet to reach global markets, so we’ll have to wait to see if it will indeed include this powered-off tracking functionality.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series already support this feature

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Android phones support powered-off tracking. Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series already include this feature, and iPhones have had it for quite some time. But with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, it’s exciting to see more brands able to offer this functionality.

For those unfamiliar with how it works, when a phone is powered off, its Bluetooth controller continues to send out location beacons to nearby devices, which then relay the device’s location to Find My Device. It’s a handy feature, especially if your phone is off or out of battery and needs to be located.