PSA: Google’s Find Hub network lacks pairing lock
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Unlike AirTags, Bluetooth tags compatible with Google’s Find Hub don’t have a pairing lock.
- The trackers can easily be factory reset and paired with a new Android device.
- Reddit users spotted that the issue affects multiple brands, with Chipolo confirming the flaw.
Google recently rebranded its Find My Device network as Find Hub, but an issue users are just discovering suggests that it still lacks a key security feature. Redditors have realized that Find Hub-compatible Bluetooth tags can be factory reset and instantly claimed by a different Google account, with no verification or pairing lock in place.
On the Find My Device subreddit, user Fearless-Archer536 detailed their findings after testing two Bluetooth trackers. They found that either tag could be reset and paired to a new Google account, even if the original owner had marked the item as lost.
“In the context of Google’s ecosystem, the tags simply get erased upon factory reset and they can be added again to any compatible Android device. There is no information left on the tag that could link the tag to the previous owner.” — Chipolo
Follow-up tests by other users in the thread confirmed that the issue isn’t limited to those tags. One reported that Moto Tags can also be reset and reassigned without prompts or restrictions, and no notification is sent to the original user.
The issue lies in how Google’s Find Hub ecosystem handles factory resets. According to a response by Chipolo — manufacturer of tags for both Apple and Google’s tracking networks — resetting a tag on the Find Hub network wipes all ownership data from the device. This allows anyone to claim it as their own, even if the original owner hasn’t removed it from their account.
That sharply contrasts with how Apple’s Find My network handles the same situation. Chipolo confirmed that, even if someone resets an AirTag or other compatible tracker, the tag remains locked to the original owner’s Apple account until it’s explicitly removed. While the tag won’t report its location after a reset, it can’t be added to someone else’s Find My app, making it a far less attractive target for theft.
There was some confusion over whether Moto Tags were an exception. A Motorola employee claimed on Reddit that Moto Tags include an “anti-theft pairing lock” tied to a Motorola account, preventing strangers from reusing a tag after a reset. However, Moto Tag users disputed this, noting that the Motorola app doesn’t appear to support login or account binding. “The Moto Tag app doesn’t even have the ability to use an account or any way to log in,” one user replied.
