Chromebook Fast Pair for one-tap Bluetooth headphone connections finally releasing “soon”

Google has some exciting new features coming to Android and ChromeOS that will make its hardware and software work better together and be more accessible for its users. Over on its Keyword blog today, the company announced that these new updates will simplify how you interact with your phone, Chromebook, and accessories, ultimately allowing you to get more done with less friction.

More accessibility, less friction

One of the most notable changes is the ability to increase text, images, video, and interactive controls up to 300% in size in the Chrome browser for Android. This new feature will make it easier for users with visual impairments to view content on their phones and tablets. While this officially begins rolling out next month, you can enable it in Chrome Beta today by visiting the app’s “Settings” section and then toggling it in “Accessibility”. Google says that you can also set a specific size as your default so you won’t need to manually scale it each time you open the browser.

Fast Pair is finally here!

Another exciting update for Chromebook users which we’ve been following and reporting on for some time is Fast Pair. The ability to connect your Pixel Buds or other Bluetooth earphones to your Chromebook with one tap is finally set to release! Initially, it was announced and teased in ChromeOS 103 but remained in development until now.

By opening the case to your Pixel Buds while within range of your laptop (or just by having Bluetooth discovery for other headsets enabled), you should see a notification pop up which will let you connect with one tap. Once this rolls out “soon”, you’ll find it much easier to jump into a podcast, YouTube video, call, or song without disturbing those around you or fussing with your device settings.

Other ease-of-use updates were also announced, including a new Google Keep single note widget for Android home screens, the ability to browse or create notes on Keep using two new voice shortcuts on WearOS, and more. John Maletis – Google’s VP of Product Management for ChromeOS – sat down with us this past week on The Chrome Cast Podcast and stated that the company is heavily invested in its “Better Together” initiative, and will continue finding new ways to help your devices work together seamlessly. If you’re interested, you can listen to that episode below!