Fast Pair makes it easier to pair Bluetooth headphones to Android devices via a Google Account

Google is taking steps to make it easier to not only pair Bluetooth headphones and speakers to your Android phones, but also to make it easier to user the same Bluetooth hardware with multiple devices.

The Fast Pair feature was announced last year, and now Google has teamed up with numerous audio companies to not only improve support, but also to use Google accounts as a means of simplifying the process of using the same headphones and speakers with multiple phones -- and, as of next year, Chromebooks.

See also:

• Privacy: Cloudflare brings its DNS switching tool 1.1.1.1 to iOS and Android
• Android file manager Files Go becomes Files by Google and undergoes a redesign
• Leaked documents show Google now requires OEMs to provide 2 years of Android security updates

The change means that if you have been using a pair of headphones or a Bluetooth speaker with a particular Android phone which you then upgrade to a new device, you need simply sign into your Google Account and the settings for the audio device will be automatically transferred and ready for use.

Writing on the Android Developers Blog, Google says:

We have been working closely with dozens of manufacturers, many of which are bringing new Fast Pair compatible devices to market over the coming months. This includes Jaybird, who is already selling the Tarah Wireless Sport Headphones, as well as upcoming products from prominent brands such as Anker SoundCore, Bose, and many more.

We also want to make it easy for manufacturers to ship compatible products with minimal additional engineering effort. We collaborated with industry leading Bluetooth audio companies such as Airoha Technology Corp., BES and Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. (QTIL) to add native Fast Pair support to their software development kits.

Chromebook users can look forward to taking advantage of the same Fast Pair features at an unspecified time in 2019.