The SDK is supposed to allow developers to do three main things with their apps: discover nearby devices, establish secure connections between devices, and host an app experience across multiple devices. According to Google, the cross-device SDK uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and broadband to provide multi-device connectivity. Google shows how the cross-device SDK could be used to group food orders on separate devices. Image: Google Google describes various use cases for the cross-device SDK on its documentation page, and it looks like it could be useful in many scenarios. For example, it could allow multiple users on separate devices to select items from a menu when creating a group food order, saving you from having to pass your phone around the room. It could also let you pick up where you left off in an article when you switch from your phone to a tablet, or even let a car’s occupants share a specific map location with the vehicle’s navigation system. It almost sounds like an extension of Nearby Share, which allows Android users to transfer files to devices running Chrome OS and other Android devices. Back in April, Esper’s Mishaal Rahman spotted an upcoming Nearby Share update that could let you quickly share files across all your Google-connected devices. Google also said during its CES 2022 keynote that it will bring Nearby Share to Windows devices later this year. The cross-device toolkit is currently available in developer preview and currently only works with Android phones and tablets. Google eventually wants to expand support to “other Android surfaces and non-Android operating systems,” including iOS and Windows, but there’s no word on when that will happen. Since the feature is in its early days, we probably can’t expect to see apps that bridge connectivity between iOS and Android devices anytime soon. But it will be interesting to see how developers implement the new feature to begin with and whether it will make using certain apps more convenient.
