Apple users have long enjoyed the convenience of having their devices seamlessly work together. Thanks to features like Handoff, Sidecar, Universal Clipboard, and call continuity, Apple users can easily start a task on one device and pick it up on another. Google is now looking to level the playing field with its own cross-device linking feature for Android.
Google to introduce Apple’s Continuity-like feature for Android
Google’s upcoming feature is still under development, but it is rumored to be called “Link Your Devices.” Discovered by Nail Sadykov and reported by Mishaal Rahman, this new feature would allow users to use multiple Android devices in sync, as long as they are signed into the same Google account.
However, Android users may not be able to enjoy the same level of continuity as Apple users, due to the different ways that the two operating systems are designed. Apple has tight control over its hardware and software, which allows it to tightly integrate its products and create a seamless user experience.
Android, on the other hand, is an open-source operating system, which means that there is more variation in the hardware and software that is available. This makes it more difficult for Google to create a unified continuity experience across all Android devices.
So far, two features of “Link Your Devices” have been spotted: Call switching and Internet sharing. Call switching would allow users to switch between calls on their Android phones without missing a beat. Whereas, Internet sharing might enable users to configure a personal hotspot that can be shared easily with their own Android devices.
Call switching for Android might look similar to Apple’s iPhone Mobile Calls feature in that it allows users to answer calls on their other devices. However, there could be one key difference. Google’s feature might only be available for Android phones and not Chromebooks. While Apple’s feature works with all their devices, be it iPads or Macs. Regardless, Rahman believes that the call-switching feature could be powered by the Telecom Jetpack library. The “Link Your Devices” feature will appear under Settings > Google > Devices & Sharing. This feature is not live yet, and it’s not clear when it will be. It might land as part of Android 14, or it could be released later, perhaps as a feature drop.
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(Via)
