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We all have Bluetooth accessories, such as a great pair of headphones, that improve our experience with our devices. However, pairing them is not always a walk in the park since the devices don't always communicate correctly or stay connected. Modern Chromebooks have a feature called Fast Pair, which makes connecting and staying connected to compatible devices easier. This guide discusses what Fast Pair is and how to use it on your Chromebook.
What is Google Fast Pair and how to use it
It makes pairing Bluetooth devices to Android devices a breeze
Modern smartphones have a few connectivity options, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G. However, connecting a new device can be confusing, especially for people unfamiliar with the device pairing process. Imagine the frustration of setting up your new wireless earbuds and struggling to connect them. However, if they're compatible with Google Fast Pair, connecting them to your Android device or Chromebook is a seamless task that's completed in seconds.
Fast Pair toggle appears in Android 14 DP1 for the Bluetooth haters
Well, at least those who don't want random accessories asking them to pair up
Using Fast Pair on Android is a terrific convenience. It saves you from tapping and swiping your way through menus to pair up your Bluetooth accessories. But if you don't use said Bluetooth accessories, you probably aren't thrilled with the random toast prompts that appear when a Fast Pair-capable device nearby goes up for pairing. With Android 14, you may not have to deal with those prompts anymore if the first developer preview provides any indication.
Your new Samsung Galaxy S23 could be even easier to set up
Use Fast Pair to seamlessly set up your new Galaxy
Google's Fast Pair eliminates the hassle of setting up new Bluetooth accessories. You bring a compatible smartwatch or earbuds near your phone, and a dialog box will automatically pop up to initiate the pairing process. Fast Pair is so good that the company even brought the feature to Chromebooks, Android TVs, and smart home devices. Now, it looks like Google is expanding Fast Pair capabilities to include setting up a new Android phone, with the feature potentially debuting on the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.
Google prepares Fast Pair to take care of the Pixel Tablet's active stylus
Remember, active styluses have batteries that need to charge
Since being announced in 2017, Fast Pair has seen numerous additions to its Bluetooth bridging functionality. We learned not too long ago that users would soon be able to locate misplaced or lost Fast Pair accessories even when they're offline through the Find My Device service. The next big feature making its way to the service may have to do with styluses if we're to believe new code discovered inside the latest Google Play services update.
Google could open up Fast Pair to all manufacturers with Android 13
Possibly coming to non-GMS devices
Google announced Fast Pair in 2017 to make it easier to connect Bluetooth accessories with Android phones using Bluetooth Low Energy — the feature removed the hassle of diving into your phone's Bluetooth settings for connecting headphones, earbuds, and other accessories. To expand its reach, Fast Pair was integrated into the Nearby platform that is a part of the Google Mobile Services (GMS) suite. As a security measure, the company also requires that Bluetooth device makers register their accessories before they can start using the feature, thereby preventing its unauthorized use. The flip side of this move is that devices that ship without GMS cannot offer Fast Pair. Google is looking to change this with Android 13 later this year.
For Google at CES 2022, 'connectivity' is clearly more than just a buzzword
Everything you own, all playing nicely together? This could be the year
The modern world's evolved to embrace connectivity. We live in cities, we work in offices (or at least, we used to), and so many of our interactions are driven by this urge to keep connecting with others. That's absolutely true of our devices as well, and for as great as a smartphone is on its own, it's nothing compared to the role it can play in a greater ecosystem of connected wearables, computers, media systems, and even vehicles. Now at CES 2022 Google's only talking about making all these connections stronger, more feature-rich, and easier to set up.
Google is bringing Fast Pair to Chromebooks, Android TVs, and smart home gadgets
And it's not just for headphones
Google's Fast Pair fixed one of the biggest issues Bluetooth devices have: The pain in the butt it can sometimes be to get them talking to one another. But with Fast Pair, it's as simple as being nearby and turning both of them on. It just works. And we don't mean that in the sarcastic Todd Howard sense; it's legitimately one of our favorite features. The only drawback is that one of the gadgets has to be an Android phone. Or, at least, it was until now. Google is bringing Fast Pair to a whole lot of stuff, from Google TV and Android TV to smart home gadgets (if they've got Matter support), and even Chromebooks are getting in on it — though we knew that last part was coming.
Chromebooks are getting one of Android's best Bluetooth features
Effortless Bluetooth pairing for your Chromebook
It's no secret that Chromebooks have had a rough history with Bluetooth. From middling stability to audio cut-outs, using wireless devices on Chrome OS has long been subpar. Fast forward to today, and the Bluetooth situation has improved — albeit still with some minor hiccups. One of the most annoying issues with Bluetooth is its tedious pairing process, which Google took it upon itself to fix with Fast Pair in 2017. While that brought seamless pairing to Android devices, support for Chromebooks is nonexistent. After a long hiatus, it seems Google will finally add the long-overdue Fast Pair to Chrome OS.
Google Pixel Buds and other Fast Pair-enabled wireless earbuds start showing up in Find My Device
Music to the ears of serial misplace-ers
Google released the second generation of its Pixel Buds earlier this year in the US. Despite being a significant step forward from the first gen, there were still numerous issues that make them hard to recommend. Now they're getting a little better thanks to new features to help find misplaced earbuds — and they aren't the only Fast Pair-enabled accessories showing up in the Find My Device app.
Fast Pair getting upgrades to help find lost wireless earbuds, check battery levels
Well, not *too* lost earbuds, for now...
Google is updating its Fast Pair protocol with new accommodations for true wireless earbuds. Some of these changes were first tipped back at Google I/O 2019, but with today's launch of the second-generation Pixel Buds, it would probably be the most apt time to introduce some features tailored specifically towards that type of Bluetooth accessory.
Montblanc's first ANC headphones cost $600, come with Assistant and Fast Pair
To match your expensive, stylish watch and bag
There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to the ANC headphones category. Even though Bose and Sony offer the most popular products, luxury brand Montblanc just unveiled a new piece of tech that's about $200 more expensive than its counterparts. At this price, it offers premium built quality and Google Fast Pair, which set it apart from the competition.
Last year, Google announced a series of improvements coming to Fast Pair, a component of Google Play Services that detects nearby Bluetooth devices and pairs them automatically. One of the promised features was the ability to sync connected devices across multiple devices, whether they were Android phones or Chromebooks. At long last, Chrome OS integration appears to finally be going live, at least in the beta channel.
Google's streamlined Bluetooth pairing protocol for Android devices, Fast Pair, is about to support way more devices — not just Chromebooks, as previously promised, but more headphones, earbuds, speakers, and even smartwatches — and get a lot more useful for people who have lost a wireless earbud around the house. The company is also preparing a UI revamp for Bluetooth settings in Android Q.
With so many phone-makers dropping physical headphone jacks in favor of a Bluetooth-dominated music experience, we're all the more aware of the sacrifices we make going the wireless route. Beyond concerns over latency, battery life, and sound fidelity, it's also important to consider issues with setup; while it's effortless to plug in a pair of wired headphones and immediately get listening, Bluetooth pairing isn't always as straightforward. Last year Google took steps to simplify things with the introduction of its Fast Pair system, and today we get word of the latest Fast Pair enhancements.
Technology is all about making things faster and easier, and that's exactly what the newly-announced Fast Pair by Google aims to do. If you have a device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, your days of fiddling with Bluetooth settings will soon be over (with some select devices).