what you need to know
- Google’s latest Play Services version contains code that leaks information about the upcoming Call Cast and new “Call Forwarding” features.
- Call forwarding is said to allow users to switch from a phone call to a video call in Meet by switching to another Android device.
- Call Cast appears sparsely in Play Services’ code, detailing only its ability to switch calls to another device the user is logged into.
Google is working on some cross-device features for Android, and those specifically for calling may have been discovered in recent updates.
In Android Authority’s APK deep dive, we discovered that users in Google Play services v24-08-12 will soon be able to transfer video calls to Google Meet. Currently, the feature is called “Call Forwarding” and allows users to switch between signed-in devices after initiating a video call.
Interestingly, yesterday (March 7), Google started rolling out a “Video Call” button in the Phone app, which Mishaal Rahman detailed. The feature allows users to switch from a phone call to a video call in Meet while sending an invitation to the person they are calling.
It is now speculated that Google did this to prepare for the new discovery of call forwarding. In addition, although the cross-device feature is only mentioned for Google Meet, it is possible that more devices will be supported.
The code for Play services contains a string indicating that the feature is available to the user through the app similar Meet, which means we could see more additions after launch.
The latest Play Services version also provides details on Google’s “Call Cast” feature, but the expansion is minimal. The code states that Call Cast only works with “certain apps” and that users must be logged into other devices to use it.
The ability to stream video calls on Android is a new idea, as rumors from February didn’t mention it. Various cross-device features such as Wi-Fi sharing, hotspot sharing, and Call Cast are rumored to be coming soon. The latter is still very simple, as users should be able to transfer calls from the phone to the tablet if needed.
However, call forwarding for video calls through Meet might be a worthwhile addition since users won’t be tied to a specific device.
Previous leaks also revealed that Google is planning to add a “cross-device services” tab. This page, located in the Devices & Sharing menu, allows users to quickly see which devices they are signed into so they can switch.