Google’s long-awaited Cast feature is here, but it wasn’t compatible with the devices we wanted

In January, Google announced a nifty feature to cast media between Pixel Tablets and Pixel phones. It’s been a while since this feature was announced, but it’s finally ready for primetime as part of the latest Pixel Drop.

Google has confirmed that the Cast to Nearby Devices feature will launch in the “coming weeks” and will support Spotify tracks and YouTube videos.

“Simply bring your phone close to your tablet and your favorite Spotify songs and YouTube videos will move seamlessly, without the additional step of tapping the cast icon,” the company explained.

What about Google TV Streamer?

According to Google, the Cast to Nearby Device feature is available on Pixel Tablet, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro smartphones, Pixel Fold, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Curiously, standard Pixel and Pixel-A smartphones are not on this list. Perhaps the most obvious omission is the recently released Google TV Streamer. In fact, you could make a strong case that this feature makes much more sense on a streaming TV gadget than on an Android tablet.

Google is presumably relying on UWB connectivity for this feature, which Google TV Streamer, standard Pixel flagships, and mid-range Pixel smartphones don’t have.

Contributor Mishaal Rahman first reported on the feature last year, before Google announced it at CES 2024. We also discovered more details about this feature in our March APK teardown. So this feature has certainly been in the pipeline for a while. We hope to see this feature make its way to streaming gadgets and more Android devices, because in theory it definitely makes for a more seamless experience.