Bluetooth 6.0 is now official featuring a very important new feature

The next generation of Bluetooth technology could make it easier to locate missing devices. On Tuesday, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) released Bluetooth 6.0, which features a new accuracy tracking technology that could improve Find My networks from Apple, Google, and Tile.

Bluetooth is the standard for wireless communication between devices. The Bluetooth SIG, which supervises the standard, issues updates on a regular basis that include new features.Bluetooth's last major update was in 2016.

Bluetooth 6.0 includes Channel Sounding, which measures distance between devices with "centimeter-level accuracy," according to the Bluetooth SIG. To accomplish this, it use phase-based range to send radio signals at various frequencies between two devices, like your iPhone and your AirTag, allowing it to compute the distance between them. Developers will soon be able to include this into Find My Devices, improving location tracking accuracy.

Bluetooth 6.0's Channel Sounding aims to address security concerns associated with digital keys used for unlocking cars and hotel rooms. With more precise tracking data, developers may ensure that a gadget opens only when a digital key is within a certain range. This could help avoid man-in-the-middle attacks, in which a malicious actor intercepts messages between your phone and the lock, potentially gaining access to your vehicle.

According to the Bluetooth SIG, developers can use Channel Sounding in a variety of ways to improve user experience, including having Bluetooth mice, keyboards, game controllers, and other devices "automatically switch between active and inactive states based on their distance from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop."

Bluetooth 6.0 will most certainly take some time to be adopted by devices, but it appears to have the potential to significantly enhance how we identify and switch between wireless devices.