Controlling media on your Android phone has definitely become a much improved experience over the years. We now have a fancy media player in the notification shade, control what our volume buttons do, and an easy way to switch between devices. This week, Google teased a couple of new ideas it’s working with Spotify and another they’ve tapped YouTube Music for, both of which we’ll be happy to see arrive.
The first is in collaboration with Spotify, where Google is working on a way to easily switch between devices that work with Spotify Connect (like your Google Home devices).
When you tap on the device switcher in the media player it will work and show a familiar pop-up. You now do this to switch between Bluetooth devices (and some cast targets on YouTube Music), but if a device works with Spotify Connect, Google and Spotify are teaming up to make it even more powerful.
As you can see in the image below, their vision includes being able to see all the devices you have available (like a smart speaker) and then not only being able to play on one, but possibly combining them. You want this today, don’t you?
Another idea is Google uses a notification system that tries to follow you throughout the day so you can easily continue music or a podcast from device to device. For example, you might be listening to music in your car and then you get home. Once inside, a notification may ask if you want to continue listening on your home speakers or TV. If you connect a pair of headphones, it can trigger a notification to do the same.
Google is working with both Spotify and YouTube Music on this notification concept.
Google hasn’t said when they might implement any of these new media control ideas, so don’t expect them in the next Pixel feature drop or anything. These might be Android 14 ideas that might not be launched for a while. Or who knows, maybe we’ll see them in Android 15 Either way, just know that Google is working on them