Google Introduces WifiNanScan, an Android App that Allows Phones to Connect at Greater Distances

Sieeka Khan, Tech Times 23 March 2021, 01:03 pm

Google has launched a new WifiNanScan app for developers on the Google Play store. The app can help measure distance between two smartphones using the Wi-Fi Aware protocol.

Google launches WifiNanScan

The WifiNanScan app is designed as a research, demonstration, and testing tool for vendors, developers, universities, and more. It also lets you use NAN or Near-to-Me Network to know the distance between two separate devices.

Google has also released the new WifiNanScan app on the Google Play store for people to experiment with the Wi-Fi Aware protocol that helps two devices in proximity to connect without the need for an Internet connection.

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Google stated in its description that the app could obtain a distance measurement with a precision of about one meter with phones up to 15 meters apart.

Developers, OEMs, and researchers can also use the tool to validate the distance or range measures, enabling peer-to-peer ranging and data transfer to find the phone and context-aware applications based on the WiFi aware or NAN API.

The app was first discovered by 9to5Google.

The WiFi Aware network connections support the "higher throughput rates across longer distances than Bluetooth connections." These connections are useful for apps that share massive amounts of data between users, like photo-sharing apps.

Developers can also use this technology in their apps to find nearby users and devices. The new WifiNanScan app is free to download on the Google Play store under the Tools category.

This sits together with the WifiRttScan app that was released by Google in 2019. This app can determine the indoor location with an accuracy of two meters using compatible WiFi-RTT access points. This is meant to be used for indoor locations where GPS can't be used efficiently.

What is the WifiRttScan app

According to Gadgets NTV, the WiFi Round Trip Time or RTT allows the system and the apps to measure the distance to nearby RTT-capable WiFi access points. The WifiRttScan app for developers is available through the Google Play Store.

The location derived by GPS is not accurate in closed-off, indoor settings. Google had explored beacons as an alternative, with its latest attempt at indoor positioning leveraging the IEEE 802.11mc WiFi protocol.

Accuracy can be within one to two meters if a device can measure the distance to three or more access points. The RTT APIs in Android 9 and later allow any app to take advantage of indoor positioning.

This could help people navigate stadiums, shopping malls, conferences, or other massive venues. Aside from in-building navigation, other experiences include fine-grained location-based services and location-based information.

The 2.5MB app requires that users grant the Location permission to display a list of RTT-capable APs by SSIDS and BSSIDS. Tapping it will open a granular list of Access Point Ranging Results that notes range and latitude, longitude, and altitude.