Android 13 Tipped to Include Tap-to-Transfer Playback Feature Similar to Apple’s Handoff Feature

Google is also working on a redesigned output picker for audio on Android 13.

By David Delima | Updated: 11 January 2022 16:58 IST

Android 13 Tipped to Include Tap-to-Transfer Playback Feature Similar to Apple’s Handoff Feature

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Sebastian Bednarek

Google could be working on a feature that lets users transfer playback to a smart speaker

Highlights

Android 13 has not yet been announced by Google
Apple allows iPhone users to tap their HomePod to transfer playback
The feature is tipped to rely on Google’s casting protocols

Android 13 is still several months away but details of a new audio and media-related feature, in the works for the next iteration of Google's operating system for smartphones, has been spotted online. Google is reportedly working on a new feature that could allow users to move media playback between devices. The feature could offer similar functionality as Apple's Handoff feature that allows iPhone owners to transfer media to and from the company's HomePod speakers. Google is also working on redesigning the operating system's output picker for media on Android 13, as per another report.

In a mockup of a new user interface of a “Media Tap to Transfer” (TTT) workflow sourced by Android Police, Google is shown to be working on a feature to inform users on their Android phones (or “media cast sender” device) of available audio devices (or “media cast receiver” devices) nearby. The feature could work with Google's Casting protocol, used in its Chromecast devices and its smart speakers, according to the report.

A mockup of the Tap-to-Transfer feature asking a user to move closer to the 'receiver' device
Photo Credit: Android Police

It is also worth noting that the demo of the feature leaked by Android Police shows a small on-screen chip advising a user to move closer to the device in order to play audio. This suggests that the feature could use hardware on a user's device like an Ultra-wideband (UWB) chip or Near Field Communication (NFC), according to the report. Apple currently supports similar functionality with HomePod speakers as part of its Handoff feature. However, it is currently unclear whether Google devices will be supported, or the functionality will be available to other devices.

In the meanwhile, according to another report by Android Police, Google could also be redesigning the audio output picker for the next Android version, or Android 13. The output picker is a feature that was added in Android 10 allowing users to select from a list of available devices that can play music near them, such as smart speakers, wireless earbuds and more. In the work-in-progress look at the new output picker sourced by Android Police, Google appears to have given the picker rounded corners, redesigned volume sliders showing the device's name, active devices are denoted with a tick, while unavailable devices are greyed out.

As there are still several months until the next version of Android is released, it is too early to tell whether the MTT feature will be available in its current form, or whether it will even make it to the next Android release. Google could also decide to hold the feature back for longer, such as the scrolling screenshots feature that was not ready in time for Android 11. Similarly, the redesigned output picker could also see improvements or redesigns before the next version of Android (or Android 13) is released later this year.

It's Google I/O time this week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, as we discuss Android 12, Wear OS, and more. Later (starting at 27:29), we jump over to Army of the Dead, Zack Snyder's Netflix zombie heist movie. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Google Nest Audio

REVIEW
KEY SPECS

Design
Smart Features
Audio Quality
Value For Money

Good
Looks pretty good
Smart functionality is top-notch
Microphones can hear you clearly from far away
Loud, detailed, refined sound

Bad
Nothing, really

Read detailed Google Nest Audio review

Model Nest Audio

Touchpad Yes

Display included No

Apple HomePod mini

REVIEW
KEY SPECS

Design
Smart Features
Audio Quality
Value For Money

Good
Looks great 
Clean, detailed sound 
Excellent soundstage 
Works very well within the Apple ecosystem

Bad
Some connectivity issues with stereo pairing 
Limited smart capabilities

Read detailed Apple HomePod mini review

Model HomePod mini

Touchpad Yes

Comments

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Further reading: Android 13, Media Tap To Transfer, Tap To Transfer, Google, Media Casting, Google Chromecast, HomePod, Apple, Apple Handoff, Android

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More