Fast Pair redesign now supports more than 100 Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth is such a pervasive wireless technology that most people take it for granted until they have to go through pairing processes. Despite how widely it is used in wireless audio accessories, smartwatches, and even smart home appliances, pairing Bluetooth devices has never really become painless or consistent across platforms. Android, however, is catching up to the former and the newly redesigned Fast Pair feature promises a smoother experience for over a hundred Bluetooth devices from different brands.
Android Fast Pair has been around for years now but its scope so far has been extremely limited. At first, it was limited only to Google's own Pixel phones and then to its own Pixel Buds. This year, Google is opening up the feature to a wider range of devices and also makes it almost too easy to pair accessories to Android phones.
The pairing process is as simple as putting the Bluetooth device to be paired near the Android phone. Once Fast Pair kicks in, a card will popup that shows the name of the device and the Google account it will be associated with. A simple Connect button is all that's needed to actually pair the phone and the Bluetooth device.
The new Fast Pair experience on #Android is here. With an updated, easier-to-use layout, see how it makes connecting Bluetooth devices to 100+ devices from partners like @JBLaudio and @SonyElectronics more simple and convenient all with a single tap. pic.twitter.com/cWuMMcATrP
— Android (@Android) April 13, 2021
In the old Fast Pair design, these cards were just notifications that slide from the top and were more likely to be ignored or missed. With larger cards, the actions and information are more noticeable, removing unwanted surprises and creating a more seamless and instant pairing experience.
One of the advantages of Fast Pair is that the process doesn't need to be repeated on a new Android phone as long as the same Google account is used. The newly redesigned Fast Pair is available on all Android phones with the latest Google Play services and supports devices from the likes of JBL and Sony.