What you need to know
- Google was found testing the "Link your devices" feature early this month, which works similar to Apple's "Continuity" feature.
- Users with the same Google account across Android devices can share helpful features.
- A new leak reveals additional features to expect aside from "Call Switching."
A couple of weeks ago, we saw Google working on a new "Link your devices" feature that allowed users to share calls between Android devices if they were linked to the same Google account. New findings now reveal the feature will have additional options like Instant hotspots, automatically sharing WiFi, and more.
For the uninitiated, Link Your Devices is a new feature that will allow users to group their Android devices together, provided they're linked to the same Google account. These grouped devices can join and use cross-device services whenever needed. The new findings revealed by X user AssembleDebug (via Android Police) hint these features are coming to the Link Your Devices section.
Some new changes I found in "𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲" feature on Android1. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 - Your devices can turn on this hotspot and connect whenever they need internet.cont.... pic.twitter.com/wYsKOe7fzKAugust 22, 2023
They include features like Instant Hotspot, which, when enabled, allows users to connect to the internet between the devices of the same Google account. Further, users across Android devices can automatically share Wi-Fi without entering the password. Users who want their instant hotspot to be kept from others can randomize its name and password.
Lastly, Internet sharing is another feature that works across Chromebooks and Android devices linked to a single Google account. It works via devices' Bluetooth connectivity. This feature was initially spotted early this month alongside a new "Call Switching" discovery that allows users to switch an ongoing call hassle-free right between the "linked devices."
Apple has had a similar functionality, dubbed "Continuity," for a while now. The aforementioned goodies, like internet sharing, Wi-Fi sharing, and call switching, are familiar to iPhones, Macs, and iPads. With any luck, the "Link your devices" official rollout could be launched sooner rather than later. Once the rollout begins, users can head to Settings > Google > Device & Sharing to start linking their devices under one roof.
