Android users could soon enjoy the kind of seamless device-to-device continuity Apple fans have long bragged about. A new feature called Handoff, spotted in the latest beta version of Google Play Services, looks set to bring Apple-style productivity syncing to Android smartphones and ChromeOS devices.
Think of it like this: you’re editing a document or browsing photos on your Galaxy or Pixel phone, then switch over to your Chromebook, and everything’s just there. Files, notifications, even apps. It’s the kind of ecosystem that’s been missing from the Android world, and it could finally be on the way.
This isn’t totally out of the blue. Samsung already offers some neat cross-device tricks, like sharing your keyboard, trackpad and earbuds between a phone and tablet. Google, too, has dabbled, letting you move video calls between Android and ChromeOS and share mobile data with a Chromebook. But this new Handoff feature goes further. Buried inside Android’s Cross-Device Services, recently spotted by Android Authority, it hints at file syncing, app continuity and notification sharing – the trifecta of multitasking magic.
It’s not live yet, but the clues are there. A newly added toggle in the beta build describes how users will be able to “access files across your devices,” as long as they’re signed in with the same Google account. Pair that with the recently spotted notification mirroring tool, and it’s not hard to imagine a future where Galaxy devices talk to each other as smoothly as an iPhone and Mac.
Of course, Apple’s approach benefits from total ecosystem control. Google has a tougher job juggling dozens of manufacturers and devices.
When it launches, Handoff will likely work best across Google’s Pixel phones, Pixel tablets and Chromebooks. But Samsung’s Galaxy ecosystem is also well-placed to take advantage, especially with the upcoming Galaxy S25 and Tab S10 likely to be first in line.
It could finally give Android users the kind of joined-up experience they’ve been missing. It’s early days, but if Google and Samsung get this right, Apple’s continuity bragging rights might not last much longer.
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