If you’ve always envied the way users who chose the Apple ecosystem can stop using one device and pick it up right where they left off on another, you might soon have the same opportunity to do the same with Google’s Chrome operating system. It looks like Google may be ready to pull a page out of Apple’s playbook if a new series of findings is created.
9to5Google reports that there is evidence of a special tool hidden in some of the recent Chrome OS updates that could allow users to resume and continue activities from their Android smartphone on their Chromebook. This feature, with the internal name of “Android Phone Hub”, would offer a “user interface for users to view information about their Android phone and perform actions on the phone side within Chrome OS”.
If that reminds you of Apple’s handover feature, it’s probably because the description is very similar to what Apple device owners already enjoy. With Handoff, those users can move tasks between any Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch that meets Apple’s Continuity system requirements. With each iCloud-connected device with the same Apple ID with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi enabled, you can open a compatible app on one device, such as Safari, Mail, iMessages, and seamlessly pick it up on another.
This is how the Android Phone Hub seems to work. Apparently, it will also be able to mirror notifications from Android devices so that users can respond to them using their Chromebook.
But that is not all. The functionality could even offer users the possibility to use their Android phones from their PC to make calls, control music and even compose messages, just like the current Microsoft “Your phone” application.
When to wait Android Phone Hub
Google hasn’t yet commented on 9to5Google’s findings, but if this is a feature that is in the early stages of planning, it’s likely not yet available in the near future. However, with the integration already integrated into Chrome OS, such as accessing the data, messages and more of your Android phone through Chromebook, it only makes sense that Google seeks to promote this type of connectivity between devices.
There is no indication in the files hidden within Chrome OS of any kind of imminent release, but we know that Google is working hard to perfect a file transfer system that shares a lot in common with Apple’s AirDrop technology. Near Sharing is expected to be as useful as its iOS counterpart, and has been in the wild for some time. Users can test that particular feature right now, but there is currently no way to monitor or implement Android Phone Hub.
If there really are any changes underway, Google will likely come out to shed some light on possible updates soon enough.
