What you need to know
- Google’s latest Play Services version contains code that spills information about its upcoming Call Cast and a new “Call Transfer” feature.
- Call Transfer is said to let users switch from a phone call to a video call in Meet by swapping to another Android device.
- Call Cast makes a small appearance with Play Services’ code only detailing its ability to swap calls to another device a user has signed into.
Google is working on a few cross-device features for Android, and those specific for calls may have been spotted in a recent update.
During an APK dive by Android Authority, it was discovered in v24-08-12 of Google Play Services that users will soon be able to transfer video calls to Google Meet. Currently, the feature is named “Call Transfer” and lets users swap between devices they’re signed into after initiating a video call.
What’s interesting is that yesterday (Mar. 7), Google started rolling out a “video call” button in the Phone app, as detailed by Mishaal Rahman. The feature lets users go from a phone call to a video call in Meet as they send an invitation to the person they’re speaking with.
Speculation now suggests Google has done this in preparation for the newly spotted Call Transfer. Moreover, while the cross-device feature only mentions Google Meet, there’s a possibility that more will be supported.
Play Services’ code contains a string that states users can utilize the function with apps similar to Meet, meaning we could see more additions after launch.
The latest Play Services version also offered details into Google’s “Call Cast” feature, though very little was expanded. The code states Call Cast will only work with “certain apps” and that users must be signed into that other device to utilize it.
The ability to transfer video calls on Android is a new idea, as the rumors in February didn’t mention that. Several cross-device features, such as Wi-Fi sharing, hotspot sharing, and Call Cast, were rumored to be on the way. The latter is still pretty straightforward, as users should be able to transfer their calls from their phones to their tablets if need be.
However, Call Transfer for video calls through Meet could be a worthy addition as users won’t be tied to a certain device.
The previous leak also showed that Google is planning to include a “Cross-Device Services” tab. This page, tucked in the Devices & Sharing menu, would let users quickly see which devices they’ve signed into so they can swap over.
