Google is targeting “cross-device services” that are very similar to what iOS calls the “Handoff” feature. It has been previously available on a small number of Android devices. It is reported that it has been further pushed to more Android devices through the latest Google Play Services. Continue reading Android’s cross-device relay function is here, let’s see how much it pays homage to Apple.
▲Image source: Android Police
Android’s cross-device relay function is here, let’s see how much it pays homage to Apple
The mutual homage between iOS and Android seems to show no sign of stopping – yes, we are talking about “mutuality”, so no matter which side the phone you hold belongs to, don’t worry (laughs).
To continue to pay tribute, we must innovate and make it more useful. Quick Share Quick Share joins QR Code sharing mechanismback. Google is targeting “cross-device services” that are very similar to the “Handoff” function on iOS. It has been seen on a small number of Android devices before, including “Internet Sharing” that can quickly start network sharing and “Call Casting” that can forward video calls to other devices to connect the call.
It is reported that it has been further pushed to more Android devices through the latest Google Play Services.
▲Image source: Android Police
Friends who want to confirm and see if they have received this feature. You can go to “Settings > Google > Devices and Sharing > Cross-Device Services” to see if the relevant setting function appears.
When your Android device starts to receive this feature, it should theoretically be able to synchronize notifications (after deleting the notification, it can be deleted simultaneously on other devices – this is awesome!). In addition, the Android system should notify you that this feature has arrived through “cross-device features via Google Play Services”. You should be able to turn on the fast network sharing and call relay functions mentioned earlier.
▲Image source: Google
Seriously, although foreign media think this is a tribute to the iOS Handoff function. However, in addition to the interface that allows you to authenticate and manage devices with your own Google account, it is obviously Android’s own approach (using the concept of Group, I always feel that there should be the possibility of more advanced settings?), we can also see many special interpretations of Google’s relay functions for cross-device services.
For example, the notification function and the call function are somewhat different. The former has the impression that the Apple ecosystem does not yet have such support (it’s worth paying tribute to each other ~ Eh), while the latter prefers to switch to other devices to continue the call after answering the call – for example, if the phone feels sore after being picked up, it can be transferred to a tablet with a stand to continue the call.
This function in the Apple ecosystem is mainly about ringing at the same time and being able to answer calls from a single device on different devices. If it is transferred, it seems that it is mainly about seamless switching between different devices through AirPods Bluetooth headsets?
Of course, what we are talking about here is mainly the Android native experience. The other three parties (especially devices from the same brand) have more convenient and powerful functions that may not have been mentioned – such as this cross-device service, which is said to be obtained by Samsung first.
Speaking of which, Google chooses to use Google Play Services to push these update functions, which seems to eliminate as much as possible the fragmentation of waiting for system updates to continue to expand – this trend should be even more fatal for functions like this that require cooperation between multiple devices.
how? With this update, have you noticed that more devices support Android cross-device services? Have you enjoyed the convenience brought by this synchronized notification, call and network sharing function? I wonder if everyone, like me, is looking forward to Google bringing more diverse cross-device support features?
Quote sources:Android Police｜
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Source: KOCPC Chinese