Android ‘Fast Pair’ will quickly connect Bluetooth devices
Sync up headphones and speakers without ever touching your settings.
Android devices now have a new option to quickly sync with smartphones. Today, Google developers announced Fast Pair, a process that quickly discovers using Bluetooth Low Energy and connects over traditional Bluetooth. It's an obvious competitor to the quick-pairing that Apple introduced last year for its AirPod headphones, but better late than never.
So long as your smartphone or tablet runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above and Google Play services 11.7+, it can use Fast Pair. The process bypasses the need to connect by fiddling with settings: Simply put a Fast Pair-equipped device in pairing mode and any Android phone or tablet will get a prompt to connect.
Thus far, only the Google Pixel Buds and Libratone's Q Adapt On-Ear have Fast Pair equipped, and soon on Plantronics Voyager 8200. Fast Pair functionality is currently rolling out to Android 6.0+ devices.
