Google wants to do for Android and Chrome users what Apple does for people in its ecosystem, and a batch of news was announced today at CES 2022 designed to help those using non-Apple devices easily set up, connect and share across platforms, according to an engadged report.
This includes expanding existing Fast Pair and Chromecast capabilities to more products, as well as improving data sharing between Android phones and laptops. In fact, Google said that "for the first time with Android, we're also focusing on building for other platforms, such as Windows."
First, quick pairing Google is working with Acer, HP, and Intel to bring Fast Pair to Windows PCs so you can quickly connect your Android phone to your laptop, then set up Bluetooth accessories, sync your text messages, and easily share files via Nearby Sharing The feature will arrive on select Windows PCs later this year.
Meanwhile, Google is also offering Fast Pair for non-wearable devices, cars, and Bluetooth audio accessories, to include things like TVs and smart devices, as it already works with Pixel Buds and some Fitbit watches, allowing for easy setup on those devices, and in a few weeks a device could Chromebooks can automatically detect Quick Pairing headphones when they're turned on, letting you connect to them with one click New Chromebooks arriving later this year will be even easier to set up, too. You can connect your Android phone and ports via saved data like an account Google and Wi-Fi password.
The company said it will let you connect headphones to Google TV or Android TV in the coming months, and that Fast Pair will also work with new Matter-enabled smart home devices, and that should make adding connected devices to your home network easier than before. It's as simple as setting up Apple's HomePod where you can just hold your iPhone near the speaker to start the installation process, but we'll have to wait to see Google's solution in action to be sure.
After all your gadgets are set up and synced with each other, Google also wants to enable convenient connections like Apple's AirPlay or AirDrop, and it's bringing Cast support to more brands from all of Bose's smart speakers and speakers, so you can stream music and audio from your phone Android to compatible speakers.
The company is also "building technology for Bluetooth headphones" that will automatically allow them to switch audio output depending on the device you're using, say you're wearing headphones while watching a show on your Android tablet and a call comes in on your phone, the system will pause the movie and the headphones will switch Head to your phone, then back straight to your tablet when your conversation is over This will work with all audio playing through your devices system-wide, not just a supported app basis For Apple users this is similar to how AirPods automatically switch between iPads and iPhone and Mac.
Google says compatible headphones will also get spatial audio support so you can hear directional audio based on your head movements for more immersive experiences. These features are coming in the next few months.
Later this year, the Phone Hub on Chromebooks also gets new features to make it more useful, for example you won't have to install separate apps like Signal or WhatsApp on your laptop to send messages to your friends on your phone anymore, and messages from Chat apps are on your Chromebook and you can reply to them from there, and Google is also adding a Camera Roll to the Phone Hub so you can view media without opening photos.google.com.