Google kicked off 2022 with a major update. There are five ways in which Android, Android TV, Wear OS and other smart devices will work better with each other. Fast Pair gets new features and you can easily transfer your music from one device to another. We explain.
1. Fast Pair for many more devices, including Windows
Google has a lot in store for Fast Pair, which is the function that allows you to connect a supported Bluetooth headset to your phone with the push of a button. In a blog post the company announces that Fast Pair will soon work on many more devices.
Fast Pair is going to work in two ways for Chromebooks. First of all, you can quickly pair bluetooth headsets, but you can also use your Android phone and Fast Pair to set up a new Chromebook in one fell swoop. You then immediately share your WiFi data and log in to your Google account. These improvements will be available in the coming weeks.
In addition, Fast pair will also quickly connect Bluetooth headsets to Android TV and Google TV devices. In addition, you will soon be able to connect select smart home devices much faster and connect them to the Google Home app. It works on smart devices that support the new Matter standard. Google will roll out these features in the coming months.
Fast pair for Windows
And with that, we haven’t discussed everything about Fast Pair yet, because Google surprises with Fast Pair support for a number of Windows devices. Thanks to Fast Pair, you will soon be able to quickly connect to Bluetooth devices on your PC, but it will also be possible to receive messages or share files with Nearby Sharing.
To make that possible on Windows, Google did not partner with Microsoft but with Acer, HP and Intel. It is not clear whether the function will also work with existing PCs from these manufacturers. Fast Pair for Windows is expected later this year.
2. Smart and fast unlock
You can quickly unlock your Chromebook today if your connected phone is nearby. You will soon be able to do the same with your Wear OS watch. You can then unlock your Chromebook, smartphone or tablet with your smartwatch. It is not known whether you need Wear OS 3 on your watch. At the moment, that version only works on Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4, but that should change this year. Google plans to roll out this quick unlock in the coming months.
You can already unlock select BMW cars with your smartphone if you – again – have one of the select phone models. Google wants to make the digital car key available to more users by 2022. It will then work with more car models and smartphones that support Ultra-Wideband technology. That will mainly be the flagship smartphones.
3. Take your music with you everywhere
Google is developing a technology for Bluetooth headphones that makes it possible to quickly switch between devices. Suppose you watch a series on your tablet while you have your headphones on, then that headset automatically connects to your phone when you receive a call. The series will be paused and playback will begin automatically when the call is over.
It sounds as if Google wants to ensure that Android will soon offer better support for headphones with the multipoint function. With that feature of bluetooth 5.2 it is possible for headphones to connect to several bluetooth devices at the same time. Google plans to make this available with supported Bluetooth headsets in the coming months.
4. Chromecast is coming to more devices
You can easily stream music and video from your phone to, among other things, smart TVs and speakers. Google is now announcing that it will soon work on even more devices, as the company will work with more manufacturers.
Spatial Audio for Headphones will also work with more different headsets. Spatial Audio is a technology that makes users feel as if audio is taking place in the space around them. it should be part of Google’s upcoming Android 12L update. Bose is already mentioned as a partner for these technologies, but nothing is known about other brands. Chromecast and Spatial Audio will be more widely available in the coming months.
5. Chromebook works with chat apps
The Phone Hub on Chromebooks is being improved, which is the central point with which you control your phone on Chrome OS. You will soon be able to open your messaging apps directly on your Chromebook without needing your phone. You do not have to install the relevant app for this either. Before that, you could only quickly reply to an incoming message from your Chromebook. In addition, you can access your photos and videos from the Phone Hub. The improvements will be available for Chromebooks later this year.
What do you think of all the new ways that Android devices will soon be connecting with each other? Which new feature do you find most interesting? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.
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– Thanks for information from Androidworld. Source