Google is killing Find Hub on Googlebooks, but why?

It looks like Google is removing Find Hub support from Googlebook laptops, but the company hasn’t explained why. The latest Google Play Services changelog, dated October 12, says the update disables installation of the Find Hub app and removes Find Hub capabilities from Googlebooks.

The change makes the Find Hub situation even more puzzling because some Googlebook users have already reported problems with the feature. In a recent Reddit thread, users reported that their laptops appeared in Find Hub but couldn’t be located. They also said that Find Hub was disabled in settings, with no option to turn it back on.

It’s unclear why Google is removing Find Hub capabilities from Googlebook. It’s possible the implementation was unfinished on Googlebooks and the company is now rolling it back before making it better. Another possibility is that Google is separating the device-finding features available on Android phones and tablets from those supported on its laptop platform.

There’s also an important distinction between using Find Hub on a Googlebook to locate other devices and using the service to locate the Googlebook itself. The changelog doesn’t clarify which capabilities are affected or whether Google has plans for an alternative tracking solution.

For now, we don’t know whether this is a temporary rollback, a broader change in Google’s plans, or simply the removal of a feature that wasn’t working as intended. We’ve reached out to Google for answers and will update this story if and when we hear back.