Google could be preparing a major Bluetooth upgrade for Android 15

Auracast is coming?

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2024 should be the year of Android 15, if everything atGoogleruns on schedule, and the signs are that the upcoming successor toAndroid 14is going to bring with it a significant boost in Bluetooth functionality.

As spotted by seasoned code digger Mishaal Rahman over atAndroid Authority, the latest beta version of Android 14 comes with numerous mentions of audio sharing. This code is hidden for now, but it’s ready and waiting to be utilized.

The code describes a new page within Android where you get a switch to toggle the sharing of audio, a QR code to let other people tune in, a list of nearby audio streams, and a button to change the Bluetooth device you’re listening on.

In other words, it sounds a lot likeBluetooth Auracast, the new-ish Bluetooth LE Audio standard that lets you wireless share audio streams with people around you. Think about sharing a podcast with a friend on a bus ride, for example, or listening to an album in sync with someone else while you’re at home.

A long time coming

The clever part of Bluetooth Auracast is that it doesn’t rely on the normal pairing process, making it much easier to have several streams going at the same time on multiple devices. In theory, an unlimited number of devices can connect, making it suitable for public broadcasts at waiting rooms, gyms, bars, airports, and more.

Look back through the TechRadar archives and you’ll see that Bluetooth Auracasthas been around for a while, though there are still only a relatively small number of products that actually have built-in support for it.

That could change if it becomes more prominently baked into Android 15. At the CES 2024 expo earlier this month, we gotsome hands-on time with the tech, and it clearly has a lot of potential in a range of different scenarios.

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The chances are that Google will mention this as a key new feature of Android 15 when the early versions are announced in the coming months – and we’ve already heard how the software might include updates tohow battery life is displayedandwhat you can do with the lock screen.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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