Google is beginning to deploy two Android features it first teased at its I/O 2024 conference in May, according to9to5Google. The first is call casting, which lets you move calls to otherAndroid phonesortablets, or in some cases a desktop browser – as long as everything’s signed into the same Google account. Casting can only be used in Google Meet at the moment, but when cross-device services are on, it’s triggered by tapping the same Cast icon you’d normally use to push YouTube videos to your TV.
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Android 15 wasn’t the focus at all. Instead, it was AI, AI, AI.
The other feature is internet sharing, a.k.a. automatic hotspot sharing between devices with the same Google login. This works across Android and ChromeOS (i.e.Chromebook) devices, but excludes Samsung products, for which you’ll have to use that company’s own auto-hotspot feature. The Google option requires that your Android phone has both Bluetooth and location services active.
To use either feature, you’ll also need a device running Android 11 or higher and Google Play services 24.28.34 or later. If you’re fully updated, you can flip on cross-device services by opening the Settings app and navigating toGoogle > Devices & sharing > Cross-device services.
Why are cross-device services such a big deal?
Traditionally, one of the biggest selling points of iPhones and iPads has been integration across the Apple ecosystem. Automatic hotspot sharing has been a feature on iPhones for some time, as has the ability to push calls between devices – you can even send calls to aHomePodif you have one. Similarly, Apple users can unlock an iPhone or Mac with an Apple Watch, and take it for granted that their AirPods or Beats headphones will automatically switch sources.
There are still gaps in the Android ecosystem, although they’re closing. In the audio realm, for instance, Google’s Fast Pair and Audio Switch offer a similar level of convenience, assuming every device in the chain is compatible. If you have a Pixel phone, you’re able to unlock it with aPixel Watch.
Those examples point to a larger problem, which is the inherently fractured nature of Android. Although Google is chiefly responsible for Android, device makers are free to use custom forks of the OS, so it’s not guaranteed that every device will have the latest features.
