Google Cast has been around for some time, allowing users to stream videos, pictures, and presentations from their Android device to a supported display. It’s quick, easy, and convenient. Best of all, you don’t need to use any wires to get connected, with everything taking place through a wireless network and two devices.
Of course, streaming is fairly popular nowadays, and we see it in all areas of tech, with services aimed at productivity, as well as entertainment. But how could streaming evolve from here, you might ask? Well, it appears that Google might be working on something called App Cast, which could allow users to stream apps from a connected device.
Still in its infancy
The folks at Android Authority have been digging through code, taking some time to look through the Google Play Services 25.24.31 beta release, where they were able to find references to the aforementioned App Cast. While there is mention, the news outlet wasn’t able to pull up anything substantial with regard to the feature that would provide clues about what it is or how it would work.
However, it was able to find information within the code that would indicate users would have access to choose from a device list and be able to pull up a list of installed apps. Android Authority thinks that App Cast could allow linked Android devices to stream apps from one product to another.
It’s important to note that nothing substantial about this feature has been found in the code, so the news outlet is taking a wide swing here with this. But it is important to highlight this finding because it could just be the start of something, and it may eventually come to fruition several months or even years from now. Perhaps what’s important to understand is maybe why something like this would be needed.
If some of this sounds familiar, you might be thinking about Instant Apps, a feature that made its debut nearly a decade ago, allowing users to try out apps without installing them. This was a pretty great idea at the time, considering that mobile data was relatively scarce. Of course, this feature never really took off as expected, and we recently saw the demise of Instant Apps as it is set to sunset at the end of the year.
Could App Cast be an evolution of this for modern times, allowing users to use apps without having to install them? It’s hard to tell with such little information, but it’s fun to imagine what might be. Of course, you’ll most likely hear more about App Cast sometime in the future when Google manages to flesh it out a bit. Until then, you can just keep this feature in the back of your mind and maybe ponder how it can be useful, and see if your guess comes up right when this goes official.
