Android phones and tablets finally get this iPhone feature: What is it, how to use it and all other details

Android cross device

With cross-device services, Google finally added two of the much-asked features that are already available in the Apple ecosystem to Android. Google announced Cross-devices services – Call casting and Instant hotspot – for Android in May, earlier this year and two months later it started rolling it out gradually. Now, the feature is available to a wider audience.

Android cross-device service details

As the name implies, the new Cross-device service offers improved syncing for different devices that run Android. As of now, the feature works with Android smartphones and tablets and it allows users to seamlessly connect and move things around between the devices that are connected to the same Google account.

This means, users can now instantly transfer their calls from an Android smartphone to an Android tablet and vice versa. Similarly, with the Instant hotspot feature, users can share their phone’s data with a connected Android tablet without going through the Settings or accessing Quick toggle on the smartphone.

Call casting: Call casting is a call-transferring feature that lets users move calls from one device to another. For instance, if you pick up a call on your phone then you can transfer it to your tablet with the press of a single button.

Instant hotspot: Instant hotspot feature has been one of the much-asked features by Android users and it allows users to connect their Android tablet (for now) with their phone’s hotspot directly. This means, users are no longer required to open the phone’s settings, turn on the hotspot, then move to the tablet, go to Wi-Fi settings, select the Wi-Fi, and enter a password to connect to the internet. The feature works seamlessly and all users need to do is enable the Cross-device services from the settings. The feature is also available on Chromebooks.

Supported operating systems
According to the official blog page, the Cross-device services will be available on all Android devices running version 24.28.34 of the Google Play services and devices that are running Android 11 or newer operating systems.

How to enable Call casting and Instant hotspot features

The feature is rolling out now. So, make sure to update your Google Play services to the said version. Now, follow these steps:

Open Settings and tap on Google
Select Device & sharing option
Here you’ll find the new Cross-device services, tap on it
Enable the toggle and set up the feature by adding devices to the group