Google laid out its plans for a number of new features coming to its ecosystem of devices and operating systems this year, a lot of which is focused on connecting them all or making setup easier. Whether you have an Android phone and an Android TV or a Chrome OS devices and a Wear OS watch, there is a good chance they will start to talk to each other.
Quicker setup of all devices
One of the biggest items Google announced today involves Fast Pair, the quick-connect technology that Google pushed out to phones and headphones a couple of years ago. In the coming weeks and months, Fast Pair will work on more devices and throughout more operating systems.
The idea here is that when you fire up your headphones in pairing mode, your TV will recognize and be like, “Hey, cool headphones, wanna pair?” just like it does on your phone.
For Google TV and Android TV devices, you’ll be able to Fast Pair headphones “in the coming months.” For Matter-enabled smart home devices, Fast Pair will work to add them to your Google Home units “in the coming weeks.” With your Chromebook, Fast Pair for headphones will also happen “in the coming weeks.” And finally, setting up a Chromebook should happen even faster by using a paired Android phone.
Fast Pair to Windows PC
This gets its own section because it will be big once it happens. Google announced today that it will add Fast Pair functionality from Android phones to Windows PCs. This will help with Bluetooth accessory setup, sync text messages easier, and allow for better file sharing with Nearby Share.
Google says they are working with Acer, HP, and Intel for this action to start. This is a coming “later this year” feature, so you’ll just have to stay tuned for more details as we learn them.
Locking and unlocking with your Wear OS watch
This one might be my favorite – Google is going to let you unlock your Chromebook or Android phone or tablet with your paired Wear OS watch “in the coming months.” This isn’t one of those Smart Lock janky things either. My understanding is that this will work as a native unlock share between watch and other devices, similar to how the Apple Watch can unlock an iPhone.
Also, in a bit of a refresher on previous news, Google says that using UWB technology in Samsung and Pixel phones (Pixel 6 Pro) will allow you to unlock and lock your fancy BMW vehicle “later this year.”
More Chrome connections
For Chromebook and Chromecast fans, there’s even more to look forward to. Here’s a list of what else Google is working on for the coming weeks and months:
- Bluetooth switching: Automatic switching of audio devices from Chromebook to Android and back. This could happen as a call comes in and you are watching a video on your Chromebook, but take the call through your phone. Your headphones will jump to whichever device you’d like to use.
- Chrome OS messaging apps: Later this year, you will be able to respond to messaging and chat apps from your phone on your Chromebook without actually installing those apps on your Chromebook.
- Phone Hub gets Camera Roll access: Google is going to add access to your phone’s Camera Roll from a Chromebook’s Phone Hub later this year, giving you easy photo and video sharing without needing your phone handy.
- Chromecast built-in: Even more devices will get Chromecast built-in this year, including all Bose speakers and soundbars.
- Spatial audio with your head: Depending on head movements, headsets that support spatial audio will soon automatically adjust to make you feel like the audio is fully surrounding you, as you move.
If you have surrounded yourself with Android phones, watches, and Chromebooks (soon Windows PCs too), your 2022 will be filled with new connections between them. Hope you are cool with that.
This should have been their original Prime Directive. I’m glad they’re giving it a go now.
Would we have to have a Microsoft account + Google account + the OEM for it to work together? Doubt it would be as seamless as Apple’s but I like what Samsung has been doing and this is a good direction overall and one thing I personally think Apple is way ahead: ecosystem and seamless communication between devices.
Well it’s about damn time. Here’s hoping they don’t majorly break anything on this quest that really should’ve began back when the first Pixel launched.
I don’t want my TV to say “Cool headphone bro, wanna pair?”
HAte when I turn them on to connect to my laptop,a nd the popup shows up now on the TV. No, darn it.. If I want to pair with you, I’ll tell you I do. leave me alone.
So if it works right it should only happen if your headphones are actually in pairing mode. Just turning them on shouldn’t cause the TV to do anything.
When I turn on my headset, my TV every single time goes “Do you want to connect to XXXXXXX?” and makes me press connect or cancel. I tell my kids a headsup so they can hit cancel.
Everytime.
What headphones do you have that are always in pairing mode?
Bose pair. As soon as I turn them on, they connect to my laptop without issue. Then they connect to the TV if the TV is on. I do nothing special, don’t slide the pair button on, nor do anything special. It ALWAYS will try to pair with the TV, asking me if I want to connect to the TV.
Wow. That is strange and I can totally see how it could be annoying. I have a pair of Bose QC35 II headphones and a Sony A80J TV that’s running Google TV and luckily I’ve never seen that.
Just curious, what kind of TV?
Those are the same headphones I have too. ITs a Samsung TV
Does anyone have a good solution for texting from a Chrome tab that doesn’t require me to:
a. Pay a subscription fee, or
b. Use Android Messages?
It’s not a subscription if you buy a lifetime license but if you use Pulse SMS you can text from a Chrome tab
Do you have to use their SMS app on your mobile device as well? Or does it not matter? Cuz I really prefer Textra.
I think you have to use their app. I haven’t used them in a long time though
If you are using SMS then I think you’d have to use the same app that you use on your phone. How else would it sync? I think Android Messages actually works by sending the message to your phone which then sends it as SMS. When an SMS comes in to Android Messages it forwards on to Google so you can see it in Chrome. I think any other app would have to work the same way if you are using SMS.
At least that is my understanding. I could be wrong.
yes you do have to use the PulseSMS app/program on all devices you plan to keep in sync. I’ve used it for yrs now between my 2 different Android devices with different phone numbers so if I leave my primary phone at home I still get any txt but I can still use a different txting app to send msgs from that phone number. I also have the programs installed on my home & work PC along with my Surface Pro and it works great keeping it all in sync no matter what device I’m on.
Yep, most of this is already built into Samsung phones (with Samsung peripherals, at least). It’s good to see it becoming a universal Android thing, it’s one of the more compelling reasons to use an iPhone or Samsung device.
I do wonder why they are working with Acer, Asus and Intel to make a software feature for Windows work, though – seems like they should be talking to Microsoft to put it in the OS instead (like Samsung did when they integrated Your Phone support into OneUI).
I had the same thought (about the Windows OEMs), but I think it’s due to the bluetooth integration, which adds a hardware aspect to it.
isn’t most of this already out?
This is cool stuff. That said, and I swear I’m not trying to troll, but as I read this I was thinking, “so basically everything Apple does in their ecosystem right now, along with some of what Samsung has been implementing already.” I guess better late than never. Hopefully more PC OEMs jump on board with this, and hopefully this is well executed.
I’d be living in bliss if I could have Google’s OS with Apple’s ecosystem.
Amazing