CES 2024: Google brings Fast Pair, enhanced streaming and TikTok to Google TV devices

As part of the ongoing CES 2024 trade show in Las Vegas, Google made several announcements. In addition to combining Nearby Share with Samsung’s Quick Share, Google also announced that Fast Pair will be coming to Google TV devices. In addition, the company is improving media casting capabilities on Android devices and Google TV.

The company also announced that it’s bringing Fast Pair to Google TV devices.

Google TV gets Fast Pair feature

Fast Pair — is Google’s system that simplifies the Bluetooth pairing process for wireless headphones and other wearable devices. You don’t have to enter codes to pair your devices via Bluetooth. Everything happens through a pop-up menu and Bluetooth LE detection when you put the accessory into pairing mode. This feature is available on Android phones and tablets. Now, the same Fast Pair method will appear on smart TVs running Google TV and Chrome OS devices. When you open your new Fast Pair wireless headphones or earbuds, your Google TV device will display a pop-up menu and you can confirm with a simple tap that these are your wireless headphones. You can then use your wireless headphones to listen to content playing on your Google TV (or Android TV) device.

The feature will start rolling out to Chrome OS laptops/PCs and Google TV devices next month. However, full rollout will happen «later this year», according to Google. We’d like to see Google and Samsung combine quick pairing mechanisms for Bluetooth accessories into one feature, as they did with Nearby Share and Quick Share for file sharing. This would make it easier to pair other manufacturers’ wireless headphones with Samsung TVs and Samsung’s wireless headphones with other manufacturers’ TVs.

Samsung’s wireless headphones can be paired with other manufacturers’ TVs.

Improved TikTok streaming on Google TV and Pixel Tablet

Google has announced that you can start casting TikTok videos to Google TV devices starting today. The feature also works with Chromecast Built-In devices, which means the Google Nest Hub and Pixel Tablet are also compatible with this new feature. In the future, you’ll also be able to stream TikTok videos live. By default, when you stream a TikTok video to a nearby Google TV or Chromecast Built-In device, it starts playing automatically, but you can change this behavior if you find it annoying.

When you stream a TikTok video to a nearby Google TV or Chromecast Built-In device, it starts playing automatically, but you can change this behavior if it annoys you.

The company is also expanding the availability of Google Cast to more devices, starting with smart TVs from LG. LG’s recently announced 2024 line of smart TVs includes Google Cast (Chromecast Built-In). Later this year, hotel rooms with LG devices (LG Hospitality and Healthcare) will get Chromecast Built-In, which means you can easily stream content from your smartphone or tablet to your LG TV or display in your hotel room.

Hotel rooms with LG devices will get Chromecast Built-In, which means you can easily stream content from your smartphone or tablet to your LG TV or display in your hotel room.

Spotify and YouTube Music now support Tap To Cast (for Pixel Tablet)

Google is also adding Tap To Cast functionality to other media streaming apps this year, including Spotify and YouTube Music. This means you can move music/podcasts playing on your phone/tablet to a device with Tap To Cast (like a Pixel Tablet). That way, you can continue playing your favorite music when you get home and want to listen to it on better quality speakers. The feature currently works on UWB (Ultra Wideband) enabled Pixel smartphones, but we expect to see it on other UWB-enabled Android devices in the future.