Your Android devices can work better together with cross-device services. For example, when cross-device services is enabled:
- You can turn on your phone’s hotspot from your other nearby devices.
- You can switch between devices on video calls in apps like Google Meet and Gmail.
- Apps can offer you ways to share across your own devices.
- You’ll get new cross-device features as soon as they’re released.
When cross-device services is enabled for two or more Android devices with the same Google Account, your devices are able to detect each other when they’re nearby.
What you need
Important: Cross-device services are not available on Android Go devices.
- Two or more Android phones or tablets running Android 11 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
- A Google Account that you’re signed in to on both devices.
- Bluetooth needs to be on for both devices.
Make sure cross-device services is on
When cross-device services and Bluetooth are enabled:
- Others devices may be able to see your device name and some other device info.
- Other devices in the same group can recognize your device until you turn off cross-device services.
Important: Cross-device services only work between devices signed in to the same Google Account.
- On your Android device, open Settings
.
- Tap Google
Devices & sharing
- Make sure Use cross-device services is on.
.
Devices & sharing Tip: Make sure to repeat the steps above on each of your devices.
Make sure the features you want to use are on
- Call casting: Cast video calls from your device to another device with the same Google Account. If you turn this off, your other devices can’t cast calls to your device. When turned on, your other devices can cast video calls to the device that you’re using.
- Internet sharing: Share internet access between devices with the same Google Account. If you turn this off, your other devices can’t use your device for internet access. When turned on, your other devices can get internet access from the device that you’re using. For example, they can turn on and connect to your hotspot with instant hotspot.
- Internet sharing isn’t available on Samsung devices. If you have a Samsung device, you can use the Auto Hotspot feature instead.
Manage your device groups
Devices that are signed in to the same Google Account can use cross-device services.
Check the set of devices in a device groupImportant: By default, your current device is added to a device group once you complete the set up for cross-device services.
To check the devices that are part of a device group:
- On your Android device, open Settings
- Tap Google
- Under “Device groups,” tap your Google Account.
- You’ll find a list of other devices that have the same Google Account that you’ve already added to the device group.
- On the Android device you want to remove, open Settings
- Tap Google
- Under “Device groups,” tap your Google Account.
- To remove a device from the group, turn the device off.
- This will turn cross-device services off on that device.
Apps that uses cross-device services
When cross-device services is turned on on an Android device, other nearby Android devices signed in to the same Google Account can find and share with that device.
Apps that use your cross-device services settings can show you ways to share across your devices, and they may show a list of your nearby devices. For example, a video calling app may let you cast your call to another device, and the app will show a list of your nearby devices that you can cast to. The list of devices is not shared with the app. However, if you select a device from the list, info about that device may be shared with the app.