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The new Android 16 beta build released today for developers will include support for Auracast, which enables earbuds and hearing aids to connect to public and private audio streams thanks to the Bluetooth LE standard. A demonstration of Auracast technology at CES 2024 showed how it could be used in environments where public service announcements can be difficult to hear for all of us, but particularly those with hearing impairment. We’ve been excited about the technology for a while now, and the Android 16 beta support is a great step forward for broader implementation.
The new update will allow compatible devices — be it hearing aids from GN Hearing or Starkey, or earbuds like the JBL Tour 3 Pro — to receive broadcasts from compatible TVs or public transmitters with Samsung Galaxy devices with One UI 7, Android 15, or Google Pixel 9 devices running the Android 16 beta. For those connecting with a hearing aid, your hearing aid presets will be applied to the broadcasts. With the update, Google is rolling out the ability to connect to broadcasts with a QR code instead of needing to go into the devices settings. The QR code implementation will be available first on Pixel 9 devices.
As Auracast gets supported in more products, there’s great potential for use in our everyday lives. This includes far more flexibility while watching TV — either with the placement of Aurcast-enabled speakers throughout a room, or multiple people being able to listen to the same broadcast with different language options of frequency boost settings for intelligibility — or being able to connect to an audio stream specific to your gate at the airport for boarding or (God forbid) delay notifications. It also means you’ll be able to use your own headphones, earbuds, or hearing aids to connect to the stream — as long as they have Auracast enabled. The inclusion of Auracast leads to better auditory accessibility, and we’re here for it.
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