Google has announced it’s expanding the abilities of its Fast Pair Bluetooth connectivity feature.
9to5Google
Almost a year ago, Google introduced an improved new Bluetooth connectivity service called Fast Pair. It used Google’s Nearby technology on your phone to detect nearby Bluetooth devices that might want to be paired before letting you quickly pair them. Starting this week, they are expanding those Fast Pair capabilities.
According to a new report from 9to5Google, Google has announced it will be updating its Fast Pair tool to allow users to pair Bluetooth devices with multiple Android phones and tablets, as well as Chromebooks, at once.
When you pair with one Google device, all devices in the vicinity that are connected to the same Google account will also be linked. Additionally, your Bluetooth devices will automatically remember which devices they have connected with previously and will connect to them again when close by.
Syncing Bluetooth pairing between Android devices is similar to Apple’s approach, again, with its AirPods (and for that matter, all Bluetooth headphones equipped with Apple’s W1 chip), where the information is instantly synced between all iOS and Mac OS devices that share the same iCloud account.
Google also confirmed that it is opening up the technology to more manufacturers: “We have been working closely with dozens of manufacturers, many of which are bringing new Fast Pair compatible devices to market over the coming months. This includes Jaybird, who is already selling the Tarah Wireless Sport Headphones, as well as upcoming products from prominent brands such as Anker SoundCore, Bose, and many more.”
Unfortunately, the new pairing abilities won’t fix every Bluetooth issue, as users won’t be able to sync the headphones to a PC or Mac; one can only assume more people will want to sync headphones between their laptop and phone than between multiple Android devices.
