What you should know
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- Android 15 may introduce the ability for Wear OS smartwatches to change the phone’s audio output destination through a new permission called MEDIA_ROUTING_CONTROL.
- This feature would allow users to switch audio outputs directly from their Wear OS smartwatch, enhancing convenience for tasks like moving from phone speakers to headphones without interacting with the phone.
- The MEDIA_ROUTING_CONTROL permission enables companion apps and connected smartwatches to manage audio routing for audio originating from any app on the phone.
- While specific Wear OS devices that will support this feature are not confirmed, it implies that both smartwatch and companion app updates will be necessary to utilize this functionality.
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Full Story
Android users? Oh, they’re always fiddling with their Wear OS smartwatches. You know, pausing videos, playing tunes. But here’s the kicker: wanna swap your phone’s audio from its tiny speaker to your chunky headphones? You gotta dive into the phone settings. Annoying, right?
But, hold up. There’s chatter about the Android 15 update changing the game. So, when you buddy up an Android phone with a Wear OS watch, you get this companion app. It’s like the middleman, syncing your gadgets and snagging permissions to peek at your notifications, calls, and even your texts.
Now, here’s where it gets juicy. Android Authority, those sleuths, stumbled upon some code changes. They’re talking about a brand-new permission called MEDIA_ROUTING_CONTROL. Sounds fancy, huh? This little trick lets your app—and by extension, your smartwatch—play DJ with your phone’s audio. Want to switch tunes from one app to another? No sweat.
Yeah, you heard that right. The same code changes are whispering about this MEDIA_ROUTING_CONTROL permission. It’s like handing over the audio keys to your smartwatch, letting it decide where to pump out your jams, regardless of the app.
Picture this: You’re glued to a video on your phone, sound blaring from the speaker. Suddenly, you crave some privacy. Instead of fumbling with your phone, a few taps on your watch, and bam—headphones engaged, video uninterrupted. Or maybe you’re jamming in the kitchen but want to shift the party to the living room’s smart speaker. Again, just a few watch taps away.
Now, the big question: Which Wear OS watches will get this magic touch? It’s all a bit hush-hush. Google’s playing coy, not whispering a word about this for its Pixel Watch 2 or the OG Pixel watch. But, you gotta wonder, are they cooking up something behind the curtains?
