Android 15 enhances location accuracy with Wi-Fi Ranging

Android 15 brings a big improvement to indoor navigation by adding support for Wi-Fi Ranging. This new feature is based on the IEEE 802.11az protocol, which allows Android devices to track location with incredible accuracy within 1 meter inside buildings like malls, airports, and offices.

Wi-Fi Ranging works much better than older Wi-Fi location methods. Previously, Wi-Fi-based location tracking was only accurate to about 10-15 meters, relying on the strength of Wi-Fi signals.

In 2018, Android brought Wi-Fi RTT (Round Trip Time), which improved accuracy to 1-2 meters. With Android 15, Wi-Fi Ranging now further boosts accuracy to as precise as 0.4 meters. With the adoption of the 802.11az standard, Wi-Fi Ranging uses FTM to measure the time-of-flight  (ToF) of signals between the device and nearby access points.

In addition, Wi-Fi Ranging offers several other advantages. It can work on the new 6GHz Wi-Fi band, supports more devices at once, and is more secure. It’s a good choice for indoor navigation because it has a better range than other technologies like UWB (Ultra-Wideband) and Bluetooth Channel Sounding.

While not all Android phones have the hardware to support Wi-Fi Ranging yet, devices using Qualcomm’s new FastConnect 7900 chip will be ready for the feature. However, Wi-Fi routers and access points also need to be updated to support the new 802.11az standard.

With Android 15, Wi-Fi Ranging offers a better, more accurate way to find your way around indoors. As more devices and networks adopt the technology, we can expect even more accurate indoor navigation in the future.