Summary
- Android 15 is working on improving Bluetooth sharing capabilities with new Auracast functionality.
- Bluetooth LE-compatible devices are needed, but are becoming more widely adopted.
- A new Settings page in Android 15 will let you start an Auracast stream, control access, and use a QR code to connect, among other features.
Audio sharing has been around for a while now, and you may have already used the technology. If you have a Samsung phone, it is very likely Dual Audio is available to you, and Apple has a similar feature for iPhones. Using Bluetooth to stream your phone’s audio to other devices such as wireless earbuds is something most of us have done. However, when you want to sync up more than one device, Bluetooth has been pretty limited on that front, at least with AOSP‘s implementation. The good news is that Auracast lets you spread that connection to more than one device, and Google is improving support for this feature in Android 15.
Android 15 could let you share Bluetooth audio with your friends
The feature could take advantage of Auracast for easy audio sharing
Android Authority reports that Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast have been supported to some degree since Android 13, but are getting even better with Android 15. Thanks to improved support for Auracast, you’ll soon be able to broadcast audio to multiple devices nearby using Bluetooth Low Energy.
You’ll need Auracast-compatible audio devices to take advantage of this feature, but the standard is becoming more widely adopted now that more headphones and earbuds are shipping with the requisite Bluetooth LE Audio support. Google is preparing for this support by adding an audio-sharing Settings page in Android 15, so you can connect, find, or start an Auracast stream.
Starting an Auracast stream
Android expert Mishaal Rahman tested the feature on his Google Pixel 8 Pro running Android 15 Beta 1.1, and was able to connect his Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 5. After a bit of tinkering to enable latent code for the feature, the new Settings page became available under Settings → Connected Devices → Connection preferences → Audio sharing. Here, a Share audio option could be toggled on to start streaming.
Once the audio-sharing session was active, a notification appeared containing buttons to access settings or stop the stream, and the media output switcher made it clear that audio was being shared and not playing. Through the settings menu, Rahman was able to control who could connect to the stream and choose a unique broadcast password and name. He also discovered that the one-way broadcast could not be controlled by the connected devices — only the host device.
Rahman also pointed out that there was an option to create a QR code other users could use to connect. However, there was a slight issue with the process, most likely because he had problems connecting Samsung devices to the Pixel 8 Pro using the ID/password that was created.
Once the setup was successful, users could connect automatically by entering the generated password below the QR code. However, there is no support for scanning a QR code to connect to a broadcast using Samsung’s Auracast implementation, so there’s work left to be done on this front. There were some audio issues in the process, but they were improved by toggling off the Improved compatibility option that helps devices such as hearing aids connect.
