Google is rolling out a new update for Android that makes it easier to transfer calls and share Wi-Fi hotspots between multiple devices, provided they’re close by and all signed into the same Google account.
The upgrade was actually announced at the end of May, after the Google I/O 2024 developer conference, and it seems the functionality is now making its way to devices, as spotted by 9to5Google.
If your phone has got the update, you’ll be able to go to Settings and then select Google > Devices and sharing > Cross-device services. You’ll then be asked to configure a device group to share calls and hotspots between, which can include tablets and Chromebooks.
Of course this is an area where Apple devices already excel, with features such as Handoff, which lets you pass calls, files, and plenty more besides between iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Google is now catching up, to an extent.
Automatic sharing
As per the descriptions in the app, call casting lets you “move calls between this device and other nearby devices signed in to your Google account”. At the moment, you need to use Google Meet in order for this to work, though other apps may be adapted in the future.
The instant hotspot feature lets you “automatically share hotspot access with your own devices”. This covers Android phones and tablets, as well as Chromebooks, and will save you the extra step of having to put in your password.
Google says the second feature, internet sharing, isn’t available on Samsung devices, but there is a similar feature on Galaxy phones called auto-hotspot which you can use instead (and which has been around for several years).
This is all ahead of the big Android 15 update, which is expected to roll out in full within the next month or so – and on Tuesday, August 13, we’re going to get the grand unveiling of the Pixel 9 series of phones.
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