It wouldn’t be CES in Las Vegas without a Google ad plastered all over the monorail. I’m still trying to capture a photo of this year’s wrapping, but until then, you’ll want to know about some new features to the Google and Android ecosystem. I’m incredibly excited about this next piece of news rolling out to the Chromecast with Google TV.
Listen to Google TV with your earbuds
Google has announced that Fast Pair support is finally coming to Chromecast with Google TV this month. The ability has been churning around in the rumor mill for two years. It lets you sync Bluetooth-connected headphones to your TV to listen to what’s playing without disrupting the rest of the place. Roku TVs and set-top boxes have long had this functionality available on its devices, called Headphone Mode. Google will expand the ability to more of its Google TV devices later this year.
Nearby Share will become Quick Share
Nearby Share, Android’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop, will get a new name in the new year. Google will change the moniker to Quick Share, after Samsung’s name for the feature on its devices. I’m curious about the backroom talks that happened on this, as now I’ll have to change the moniker for when I refer to this capability, which I use constantly. Don’t forget Quick Share works with Windows, too.
Cast to more devices
TikTok is a heavy part of this casting announcement, which is interesting when you consider it is plucking away market share from Google’s search engine. I noticed recently the app was surfacing a casting button I’d never seen before, and it turns out it’s part of this week’s Google announcements at CES. TikTok will soon allow you to cast the app to casting-enabled screens. It’s not extended to live content yet, but that’s coming down the pipeline.
Google has teamed up with LG to bring native casting to more of its TVs, particularly those it sells to hotels and hospitals. Frankly, I would have loved to cast my programs to the TV in my labouring room while delivering my kid. But I don’t even remember what brand that TV was. TCL and Hisense are also launching more TVs with Google’s casting capabilities at CES 2024.
Continuation is fun, doubly so when it’s between your ecosystem of devices. Google has finally added the ability to switch casting from your Pixel smartphone to the Pixel Tablet docked in your home. It was a use-case heralded at the Pixel Tablet’s initial launch, and now it’s finally coming to devices.
Google TV gets Matter support
Matter is still connecting the smart home, and it’s on full display at CES 2024. As part of the show, Google says Android TV OS devices and Google TVs will act as hubs for your Google-led smart home. This idea had been circulating in the rumor mill for quite some time. If you already have Matter devices, the TVs will serve as additional “bridges” for your connected abode.
See how fast your car charges with Android Auto
Android Auto has a few updates, too. Google will let you see real-time battery information on your electric vehicle charging in the garage. The U.S. Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E will be the first to offer access to these new indicators. They’ll be displayed in Google’s booth, and I’ll look inside to see how Android Auto has been integrated throughout the vehicle. Stay tuned!