Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Tl; Dream
- Google is working on an Android -width “handoff” feature for synchronizing multiple devices.
- This feature will provide access to apps and media on your devices, and even sync notifications between them.
- Apple has a similar continuity feature called handover, albeit without warning synchronization.
Last week we discovered one in development “App role crew“Tools in Google Play Services. Based on the strings, we speculated that Google could allow Android devices to stream apps installed on other hardware connected to your account. It looks like Google has larger plans for the App Cast, as it may be one of the tools present in Android’s version of Handoff.
Ease APK Demolition Helps predict features that may come to a service in the future based on work code. However, it is possible that such predicted functions may not come to a public release.
Google Play Services V25.25.31 Beta includes these new strings:
Code
Continue tasks and access apps, media, and notifications across your devices
Handoff
Sync notifications across your devices
Notifications
Access your files across your devices
Files & media sharing As you can see, the App Cast feature is associated with the upcoming “Handoff” feature. The strings explain that this ecosystem function is intended for synchronization of multiple devices, and allows users to access apps, media and alerts across devices. As is explicitly mentioned, your alerts will be synchronized over your devices (in the end!) And you will also be able to share files and media between them. We know from the previous APK interaction that you will also be able to access your apps on your primary device externally on your other devices.
Handoff sounds familiar? Well, Apple has a similar continuity feature called Handover. Users can start a task on compatible apps on an Apple device and resume the task of another Apple device, as long as both devices are signed on iCloud using the same Apple account. Samsung also has a App continuity function It allows you to share and transfer files, respond to calls, connect earplugs, activate hotspots and more across your connected galaxy devices.
It is very clear where Google draws the inspiration for the delivery feature. Fortunately, the Google Play Services version of Handoff will also sync alerts, which is a major pain point for users of multiple devices when users end up having to remove actions on multiple devices. We have previously discovered Notification Synchronization The feature, but at that time it was not very clear if the feature would be a pixel-exclusive or get to all Android devices. With these new strings that are now being detected in Google Play Services under the Handoff umbrella, this is probably an Android-width feature, as long as you have Google Play Services.
Google has not yet announced anything related to Android’s handover function. We keep you up to date when we learn more.