Google is reportedly developing a new feature that would allow people to link their Android devices together using a Google account. Linking would enable features like ‘call switching.’
According to details revealed by Android expert Mishaal Rahman on the website formerly known as Twitter, the new ‘Link Your Devices’ feature could enable features like call switching, which would let people switch calls between devices. There may also be an ‘Internet sharing’ feature, which could be a way to easily set up personal hotspots across linked devices or maybe a way to share Wi-Fi connection details.
It’s worth noting that these are features that Apple has offered for some time on iPhone. For example, ‘iPhone Mobile Calls’ allows users to make and receive calls from Apple devices using the same Apple ID, as long as they’re on the same network as the iPhone.
You may soon be able to "link your [Android] devices" signed into the same Google account together. This will enable "call switching", which lets you switch between devices for calls, as well as "Internet sharing"!
H/T @Nail_Sadykov pic.twitter.com/WCunYNE9GQ
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) August 10, 2023
However, Android Authority points out that Apple’s take doesn’t let you make or receive calls from another iPhone, whereas the wording of Google’s feature suggests it will work across all Android devices. That could make Android call switching a big win for people who need to carry two phones.
Apple’s iPhone also includes sharing features that make it easier to connect devices to Wi-Fi networks, though the features allow you to share Wi-Fi with other people’s Apple devices too, not just the ones signed into your Apple ID.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how the Link Your Devices feature works. Google hasn’t announced it or shared a release date — all we have to go on so far is what Rahman shared. Rahman says the feature will show up in ‘Settings > Google > Devices & Sharing’ once it’s released.
If I had to guess, I’d say Google will likely announce this feature alongside the Pixel 8 launch later this year, but it could come at another time.
Source: Mishaal Rahman Via: The Verge, Android Authority
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