Android could finally be set to copy one of the most compelling (and unique) iPhone features, and it’s more than a decade late.
According to Android Authority, Google is working on an App Cast feature within Google Play Services that will let you stream apps installed on other hardware.
It seems Google is intending to put this tool to use in creating its own version of Apple’s Handoff, which lets you switch seamlessly between iOS and MacOS devices.
What will Android Handoff be capable of?
Having dived through this App Cast code, the website has uncovered references to Google’s own Handoff initiative and of multi-device syncing.
Clear a notification on one device logged into your Google account, and it should apply to your other devices.
There are also references to media and file sharing. You’ll also be able to remotely access apps installed on your primary device.
Apple
Android Handoff availability
Given that this code is appearing in Google Play Services, the website speculates that this should be a wider Android feature rather than being limited to Google’s own Pixel devices, which is good to hear.
Android users often have devices from multiple brands, so it’ll be great if they all eventually work together in harmony.
Even so, we find ourselves wondering why it’s taken so long for Google to get such a feature up and running on Android. Apple first launched Handoff with iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite way back in 2014, and this seamless cross-device interoperability has been a major selling point for Apple hardware ever since.
