If you’re deep into Google’s platforms—and I imply, you’ve bought an Android telephone, a Chromebook, and a Google TV arrange in the lounge—Google’s CES 2022 bulletins would possibly sound like a payoff to you for sticking with the ecosystem. The firm revealed particulars for a few of its most anticipated options, together with a timeline for when its seamless Fast Pair function will come to extra gadgets. It’s additionally introducing new methods for Android to work together with Chromebooks.

Fast Pair is a Bluetooth LE function that permits you to immediately join earbuds and headphones to Android telephones with out diving into your Bluetooth settings. Google teased final 12 months that it could carry Fast Pair to extra gadgets, and now we all know when to count on the rollout.

In the approaching weeks, you’ll have the ability to pair any Fast Pair-enabled headphones to a Chromebook, making it simpler to change between your telephone and laptop computer. Later this 12 months, Google additionally plans to supply Fast Pair talents for headphones and Google TV/Android TV OS gadgets, which is able to make it simpler to look at TV whereas everybody else is sleeping.

Once the swap is flipped on the brand new Matter good house commonplace in your house gadgets, Google plans to allow the Fast Pair skill for any suitable equipment paired by way of the Google Home app. The firm additionally plans to make use of Fast Pair to assist bridge the hole between Android smartphones and Windows PCs, permitting you to arrange Bluetooth equipment, sync textual content messages, and share information by way of Nearby Share. Google says it’s working with laptop producers like Acer and HP to make this attainable.

Maybe It’s Time For a Chromebook

Along with the Fair Pair talents introduced above, Google will introduce the flexibility to shortly arrange a Chromebook simply utilizing an Android telephone. And when you’re out taking pictures photographs in your telephone however need to get some modifying accomplished in your laptop computer once you come again in, you’ll quickly have the ability to seize these photographs from, say, your Pixel 6 and drop them into Chrome OS by way of the Camera Roll on the Phone Hub app. It’s a function that’s harking back to the magic of Apple’s AirDrop between macOS and the iPhone. And Google is engaged on a method so that you can view and reply to completely different chat apps in your telephone by way of the Chromebook with out having to arrange the corresponding Android app on Chrome OS.

Wear OS customers may also get some Apple Watch-like unlocking talents. You’ll have the ability to use your smartwatch to unlock your Chromebook, in addition to your Android telephone and pill. All of those options ought to present up someday this 12 months, with the watch unlock function anticipated “in the coming months.”