Google might bring Fast Pair to more manufacturers in Android 13

It looks like Google will expand the Fast Pair feature to more Android phones with the upcoming Android 13 update.

Fast Pair, which Google introduced in 2017, makes it easier for Android users to connect Bluetooth devices by surfacing an Apple AirPods-like pop-up when Android detects a nearby supported Fast Pair device. Moreover, Fast Pair requires Bluetooth device makers to register products before they can start using the feature to prevent unauthorized use, and Fast Pair is built into Google’s ‘Google Mobile Services (GMS) suite.

That means that Android devices that ship without GMS can’t access Fast Pair in its current state. That likely won’t impact most Canadians since the majority of phones sold in Canada have GMS.

However, new code changes spotted in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Gerrit — an online collaborative tool for working on and reviewing code — suggests Google will split Fast Pair from GMS in Android 13.

Spotted by Esper (via Android Police), the code change would move Fast Pair into the ‘Mainline’ module. Specifically, Fast Pair would become part of the newly introduced ‘NearbyManager’ API — a change that’s already part of the first Android 13 developer preview.

Further, comments on the code change say that the plan is to let manufacturers set up their own server to “sync and serve certified Fast Pair devices’ metadata” and support Fast Pair by connecting already-paired Fast Pair devices to manufacturer accounts.

As Android Police points out, the change should tie in well with Google’s plan to bring Fast Pair to Chromebooks, Windows, Android TVs, and other smart home devices. However, it’s also worth noting that Google hasn’t officially announced the change. Android Police also reports that Google doesn’t appear to be using the Mainline module in the Android 13 developer preview, although it could arrive in future releases.

Source: AOSP Gerrit Via: Android Police, Esper