Fast Pair has been a regular feature on the Android platform. It’s mainly present on the Pixel Buds that came with the Pixel 2. The almost two-year-old technology has been very useful because of the quick pairing. The feature has already been updated last year with the ability to sync saved Bluetooth connections between mobile devices signed in the same account. The latest update was introduced during the recent Google I/O conference together with the newest Bluetooth settings page for Android-powered phone.
Fast Pair delivers a new feature called Find My Accessories. This Google Play Services feature will be ready for Android 6.0+ phones and accessories that connect via HFP or A2DP profiles.
What happens here is that the Fast Pair Seeker, an Android smartphone, usually scans for BLE broadcasts for a supported accessory. The latter is called a Fast Pair Provider. This contains a Fast Pair payload that is then sent to Google servers.
This feature allows for fast pairing because devices and Bluetooth accessories are efficiently saved. A notification will then show up during future attempts to pair.
‘Find My Accessories’ will be available soon to all Bluetooth devices that currently support Fast Pair. This easily helps consumers and Android users to discover earbuds if they lose them. Ideally, the device should appear in the Find My Device app.
This particular feature will be available in Android Q. We’re looking at future wireless earphones because such technology is getting more popular. Next update may include battery notifications on a device when a charging case is closed or opened. The Bluetooth settings page is also in the process of being updated so all Bluetooth devices can be managed from there. Soon, a user can see all important information available including detailed battery level, pairing, notification settings, Assistant settings, toggle in-ear detection, control audio tuning, and other touch controls.
