A leaked report suggests Android and ChromeOS will be integrated more deeply into devices

Google is apparently focusing on better integrating ChromeOS and Android devices, so in the near future, those two operating systems might become best buddies.

Industry expert AssembleDebug on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) recently looked into the files of Google Play Services version 24.06.12 and found hints of this change. He found that two new features are presently being developed and that several parts would be renamed to better reflect the changes after setting off multiple internal flags. Device Connections will now be called Devices & Sharing, and a new option called Cross-Device Services is available, as noted by 9To5Google.

Users can select which Android phones and Chromebooks they want on their cross-device network when they first tap this area. The number of devices you can have linked at once seems to have no upper limit. Additionally, it appears that you can use this time to mass send invitations to adjacent hardware. The previously listed functions become available to you after setup is complete. Be aware that while each tool has a brief description that provides some insight, the precise mechanism underlying each one is still unclear.

Call Cast “only works with certain apps,” but it should allow you to switch between devices while on a call. On the other hand, internet sharing is less defined. Based on the information displayed on the screen, it appears that users will be able to share both their Wi-Fi password and hotspot connection with other devices in their group. You won’t have to go through the effort of entering your password again each time you wish to add a new phone.

Upcoming release:

That’s about all the information that this most recent info dump has to provide. We believe it is safe to claim that the patch will be available soon because AssembleDebug was able to initiate the upgrade and the interface is almost complete. Although the specific release date is uncertain, Android Police’s coverage indicates that it will launch alongside other upgrades for Google’s March Feature Drop the following month. These consist of the Bluetooth Quick Settings and the eSIM transfer utility.

Please take all of the information here with a grain of salt, as with any leak. Anything can happen at any time. However, it would be a huge improvement over the existing mobile environment if it were released as is. Android users may already connect across devices with Chromebooks, however the functionality is mainly restricted to app streaming. This kind of usability improvement could eventually enable Google to build a device ecosystem similar to Apple’s.