Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Android is stealing one of the best iPhone features for wireless headphones

By

Android devices are finally getting Bluetooth audio switching. After years of watching iOS users have fun from afar, Android owners can finally join the party and live a life of convenience. Now, you won’t have to constantly search through Bluetooth settings when using Fast Pair earbuds and can go between your Android phone, tablet, or vice versa.

Fast Pair has long allowed Android users to quickly pair wireless earbuds without fiddling through device settings. Now, Google’s expanding Fast Pair to allow for seamless device switching across multiple devices. Listening to music on your Android phone but want to switch to watching a movie on your Android tablet? With a supported pair of headphones, they’ll now automatically switch between devices on their own. This has been a highly requested feature ever since it was introduced for iOS with Apple’s AirPods, so it’s nice to see Google putting the effort into creating its own version.

The Pixel Buds Pro earbuds in their cases on a stylized gradient background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Unlike Apple’s audio switching features, the Android version won’t only be supported by first-party devices. Obviously, Google is pushing the feature with the release of the upcoming Pixel Buds Pro — which are scheduled to launch next week, but additional select earbuds from Sony and JBL will also receive support. Google will be prioritizing its own devices first, however, as the feature won’t be rolling out to third-party headsets for another few weeks.

Recommended Videos

Google’s take on automatic device switching is pretty much what you’d expect from the feature: your Bluetooth connection switches as new audio sources are introduced and prioritized. In the example that Google provides, this means that if you get a notification on your phone while watching a video on your tablet, the connection won’t switch to the phone because the video is prioritized. Audio priorities are able to be switched around in the settings.

Related

This is an exciting big step for Google as it continues to try and establish itself in the audio space. Previous versions of the Pixel Buds have left a lot to be desired, so if the Buds Pro are able to be as highly regarded a product as the AirPods Pro, the company could be setting itself up for future audio success.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Peter Hunt Szpytek
Peter Hunt Szpytek
Mobile Writer
A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…
This is our best look yet at the iPhone 16’s big design changes
iPhone 15 Pro in Natural Titanium held in hand in front of a cement brick wall.

It seems Apple is prepping yet another design refresh for its smartphones this fall season. In 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro made an aesthetic deviation by serving thinner bezels and titanium looks alongside a new multi-function button. This year, it’s going to be the entry-point iPhone 16 and its Plus variant that are apparently lined up for a design refresh.

Tech commentator Sonny Dickson has shared dummy units reportedly depicting all four iPhone 16 variants, which seem to confirm what previous leaks have predicted so far. On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the camera lenses dance diagonally on a square bump. Apple is reportedly ditching the current camera arrangement for their respective successors in favor of a pill-shaped vertical setup.

Read more
These are the best Android 15 features you need to know about
Android 15 logo on a Google Pixel 8.

Android 15 has entered its latter leg of testing among developers, and in the coming months, a beta build will finally be released for the masses. So far, across the two Developer Preview builds that Google has released, we’ve encountered a handful of new features that will make life easier for smartphone users in meaningful ways.

Among them is a notification cooldown system that shields you from a barrage of audio alerts from your apps. Google has already detailed the changelog to a healthy extent, but not all new tricks have been implemented yet. But there’s still enough to unpack in Android 15, and some of those notable additions are detailed below:
Partial screen sharing

Read more
Google is going to change Pixel phones forever, and I can’t wait
Google Pixel 8 in white and pink.

Google's Pixel lineup has never been better. Right now, you can find the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro available, as well as its first folding phone, the Google Pixel Fold. And for those who want a budget-friendly option, Google also has the Google Pixel 7a. The phones aren't perfect, but they are among the best Google has ever produced under the Pixel name.

While rumors from last year made us think that the Pixel 7a could be the last of the A-series, that may not actually be the case. We are likely getting a Google Pixel 8a in just a few months, which we expect to be revealed during Google’s I/O conference in May. However, there are whispers that Google may shift away from an annual upgrade cycle for the A-series and instead move to a bi-annual cycle, similar to Apple’s iPhone SE.

Read more