Damian Weld / Android Authority
tl; drag
- Google’s fast pair, which means simplifying the Bluetooth pair, is still widely available on Google TV devices a year after the initial rollout.
- Despite a previous announcement, despite making a broad release proposal, this feature is currently supported on only four devices, including the Chrome Cast model.
- Device makers should choose to enable the fast pair on their TV, and Google says it is working with partners to bring this feature to more devices.
Making a new Bluetooth accessories with your phone may feel slow and complicated, but imagine doing on TV using just a remote. You have to keep your Bluetooth device in pair mode, open your TV settings menu, go to the Bluetooth page, scan for nearby devices, select your accessories, and finally confirm the pair request. To reduce this process, Google, Google, brought its fast pair service to TV in 2024. Unfortunately, a year later, the fast pair is still not widely available on Google TV devices, causing most consumers to be trapped in the old painful pair.
Fast pair facilitates the process of connecting Bluetooth devices such as speakers, airbuds, headphones, and controllers with their phone, tablet or laptop. When a faster pairing device enters the pair mode, a popup appears on the nearby compatible devices. This popup allows you to connect accessories with a tap, which protects you from digging Bluetooth settings.
Google first introduced a fast pair for Android phones and tablets in 2017. In January 2022, the company announced plans to enhance this feature in Google TV and Android TVOS devices in the “coming weeks” in the coming weeks.
However, this timeline proved hope. The fast pair did not really start rolling in Chrome OS by March 2023, in March 2023. The wait for Google TV was even longer, finally this feature made its first hearing in February 2024 – two years after the initial announcement.
To increase the confusion, the “Google” official posted on the X in March 2024 is that the fast pair is operating on all Android 12 or more new Google TV devices. As we later discovered, however, it was not, in fact.
A few weeks ago, I saw a feature flag called Com.google.android.fate.fast_Pairing – a flag that I thought was special for high -speed pair -supported devices. When I searched Google Play Console for the devices that declare this feature, only four appeared: Google TV model (HD and 4K), Google TV starter, and two chrome cast with ONN 4K Plus.
Mashal Rehman / Android Authority
Given Google’s first statement, I was surprised by the fact that only four devices were listed, so I reached Google, to confirm my results. A company spokesperson confirmed that the list was correct, adding that anyone could choose to enable OEM fast pair and that Google was actively working with partners to bring this feature to more devices.
It is unclear whether OEMS has to add special support to the fast pair, especially on Google TV, especially since it is part of Google Play Services and was widely developed on mobile and chrome OS without the need for device -related assistance. Perhaps it has something to do with the unique nature of the Bluetooth protocol. Whatever the case, it is encouraging that Google is working to enhance this capacity.
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