Top 3 Key Points:
- Fast Pair is expanding to include Bluetooth keyboards.
- Fast Pair simplifies the Bluetooth pairing process.
- Chromebook and Android users will benefit from this update.
We often use Bluetooth to connect various devices like headphones, smartwatches, mice, and keyboards. While useful, pairing Bluetooth devices can be tricky. To make this easier, Google introduced Fast Pair, a feature that simplifies the Bluetooth pairing process. Fast Pair currently works with headphones, smartwatches, tracker tags, and mice. Google is now expanding this support to include keyboards.
Introduced in 2017, Fast Pair was initially designed for connecting audio accessories like speakers, headphones, and car kits with Android devices. It’s available through the Google Play Services app on Android phones, tablets, smartwatches, and TVs, and since March 2023, it’s also available on Chromebooks running Chrome OS.
Fast Pair works by having accessories broadcast specific Bluetooth low-energy packets when in pairing mode. Android devices and Chromebooks automatically pick these up through periodic scans, and then check the Fast Pair database for the matching accessory. Users see a half-page notification with information about the accessory and a button to pair the device. This process removes the hassle of manually opening Bluetooth settings, scanning for new devices, and confirming the pairing.
Pairing Bluetooth keyboards usually involves typing a PIN shown on the screen, which can be a hassle. Although Bluetooth keyboards aren’t supported by Fast Pair yet, this might change soon. A recent patch titled “[Fast Pair] Add Fast Pair Keyboards flag” was merged into the Chromium Gerrit, adding a new Chrome OS flag for “FP keyboards prototype work.” The flag is currently disabled by default but enables prototype support for Fast Pair for keyboards.
Another patch indicates that Fast Pair support for Bluetooth HID devices, such as mice and keyboards, only works on “Floss.” Floss is the port of Android’s Fluoride Bluetooth stack for Linux, which replaced the older BlueZ stack in Chrome OS 122. With this shift, Google added new features like Fast Pair support for Bluetooth HID devices, leading to Fast Pair support for mice in Chrome OS 124. Google seems to be working on expanding this to keyboards, though a release date is not yet known.
Although the new flag is only for Chrome OS, Android devices will likely support Fast Pair for keyboards too, handled through the Google Play Services app. This will be particularly beneficial for Android tablet users who often pair Bluetooth keyboards with their devices.
However, Bluetooth keyboard makers will need to implement Fast Pair support, so don’t expect current keyboards to support this feature. Hopefully, this upgrade to Fast Pair will be ready in time for the launch of the Pixel Tablet 2, which is anticipated to come with an official keyboard accessory.
