Google’s new features made waves at CES 2024 and among the highlights, the new Quick Share system developed in collaboration with Samsung takes center stage. This announcement signals the retirement of Google’s previous peer-to-peer content-sharing service, Nearby Share, which debuted in 2020.
What adds a twist to this development is Google’s decision to embrace Samsung’s terminology for what was originally its service. The new Quick Share is a combination of the best aspects of both Google and Samsung’s offerings. Google proudly declares that it has seamlessly “integrated the experiences” from its partnership with Samsung, resulting in a peer-to-peer content-sharing solution that stands as the default, built-in option for a wide range of devices running Android or Chrome OS.
Google’s commitment to enhancing the sharing experience takes another promising turn as the company collaborates with “leading PC manufacturers,” including LG, to broaden the horizons of the new Quick Share. In the future, Quick Share is slated to become a preinstalled app on Windows PCs, marking a significant step forward in seamless device integration.
The way Quick Share operates is quite simple: users merely tap the Quick Share icon and gain access to a list of nearby devices, ready for effortless content sharing.
Furthermore, Google has considered user privacy as well. Quick Share allows users to exercise control over who can discover their device and send files. The options range from opening up sharing to everyone, restricting it to only contacts, or limiting it solely to personal devices.
The rollout of the new Quick Share is set to commence in February, targeting existing devices that already support Nearby Share.
Fast Pair Updates
One noteworthy development is the expansion of Fast Pair to Chromecast with Google TV. Within the next month, this feature will become available, extending its reach to even more Google TV devices later in the year. This advancement simplifies the process of connecting compatible headphones or speakers to your Google TV – a mere tap is all it takes to connect.
Additionally, users can enjoy the convenience of easy audio output controls, enabling swift transitions between default TV audio and external audio sources.
Moreover, Google is strengthening its partnership with TikTok, allowing users to cast TikTok content from their phones to devices equipped with Chromecast built-in. This feature is already live as of today.
Google has also worked with LG to integrate Chromecast directly into LG’s TV offerings. This partnership extends beyond the consumer realm, as it encompasses LG Hospitality and LG Healthcare devices as well. This means that whether you’re in a hotel or a hospital, you’ll have the convenience of casting content from your phone to the LG TV in your room.
Furthermore, Google is introducing a new casting feature that will be able to seamlessly transition what’s playing on Spotify and YouTube Music from a compatible Pixel phone to a docked Pixel Tablet when it’s nearby.
Looking ahead, LG TVs, along with select Google TV and other Android TV devices, are set to assume a pivotal role as hubs for Google Home. This approach aims to simplify the process of integrating devices that support the Matter protocol into your home network.
By utilizing LG TVs and compatible Android TV devices as hubs, users can seamlessly connect and control a wide array of smart devices within their home network through the Google Home app.
