5 exciting Android features Google just announced at CES 2024
At CES 2024, Google revealed several new Android features.
At CES 2024, Google announced several new Android features that will excite those in the smartphone ecosystem, including a Quick Share feature between all Android devices, expanding Fast Pair to Chromecast and other Google TV devices, and the ability to cast TikTok from phones to Chromecast built-in devices.
Also: CES 2024: What's Next in Tech
Here are all of the new features coming to Android that you need to know about.
Quick Share
At CES, Google announced that it was partnering with Samsung to bring the best sharing solutions together to create a cross-Android solution called Quick Share. Samsung users will already be familiar with the Quick Share feature (which is well-liked), and Android users may or may not be familiar with Nearby Share (which is not so well-liked). To come up with a better solution for all, the two companies have come together (under Samsung's Quick Share name), to integrate the best of both words.
Quick Share will offer peer-to-peer content sharing across all types of devices (within the Android ecosystem), such as phones and even Chromebooks. The companies are even working with PC manufacturers to integrate Quick Share with Windows PCs as a pre-installed application. Quick Share will greatly simplify what Nearby Share already offers, and will be rolling out to devices starting in February.
Also: The best Android phones you can buy
Fast Pair support expansion
Fast Pair works seamlessly with Bluetooth headphones on Android. In the coming month, Google plans on expanding Fast Pair to support other devices, such as Chromecast with Google TV and other Google TV devices (which will roll out later this year).
Casting to more apps and devices
Google has been hard at work to bring casting capabilities to more apps and devices. Starting now, Android users can cast TikTok content from their phone to Chromecast built-in devices. And that's just the tip of this content creator iceberg. There are also more devices planned with Chromecast built-in, such as the 2024 LG TV series and even LG Hospitality Healthcare, so users can cast their content to TVs in hotel rooms without having to log into each app.
On top of that, a new feature is rolling out that will allow users to move what's playing on Spotify and YouTube Music from a compatible Pixel Phone to a docked Pixel Tablet.
More device interoperability with Matter
As more and more consumers adopt smart devices, Google wants to ensure the devices from different companies are capable of interoperating. To that end, the company continues to embrace industry standards and, with the help of Matter (a new standard for smart home platforms), LG TVs and select Google and Android TV OS devices will soon act as hubs for Google Home.
Google apps and services coming to more autos
Android Auto will soon be coming to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Plus, electric vehicles compatible with Android Auto will be able to share real-time battery information with Google Maps to enhance the driving experience by providing an estimated battery level upon arrival to your destination. These new features will also make it possible to estimate how much time will be required to charge your vehicle.
Many top car brands will also see better integration with apps like Google Assistant and Google Play directly into the car's display. This new addition will be rolling out to brands like Nissan, Lincoln, and more.