Android’s Upcoming Bluetooth Location Enhancements
Bluetooth is a technology that has revolutionized the way we connect wirelessly with accessories. However, it still has some limitations, and new wireless technologies like UWB are starting to fill in some of those gaps, especially when it comes to location data. Now, it seems that Google is working on a new Bluetooth Distance Measurement API to make Bluetooth more competitive in this space.
The New Bluetooth Distance Measurement API
The new feature was first spotted by Esper, and Google is already adding code for it to the AOSP. Although it won’t be extremely precise with its distance measurements, it should be able to tell whether your phone is more or less than 1 meter away from connected Bluetooth devices. We are also hoping better file sharing similar to third-party apps such as we transfer. The new API will use Bluetooth RSSI, or Received Signal Strength Indicator, to gauge the distance between your phone and connected devices.
How it Arrives
The question now is how this functionality will arrive. Even though Bluetooth is implemented as a Project Mainline module, this one can’t be changed in Android 13, so we’ll probably be waiting until Android 14 at the earliest for its full debut. Before then, though, it sounds like this tech will play a role in the use of Android’s Active Unlock API to bring us the proximity-based Watch Unlock for the Pixel Watch that Google demonstrated at CES 2023.
Watch Unlock for Pixels
Watch Unlock for Pixels functions differently from Smart Lock’s Trusted Devices feature. While the latter kept your phone unlocked as long as it was connected to an approved Bluetooth device, the new feature will actively unlock your phone as you approach.
Summing Up
Google has not shared a date for the arrival of Watch Unlock. It might be held back until Android 14, but it also sounds vaguely reasonable that this functionality could be made available in an upcoming Pixel Feature drop. As for the full Bluetooth Distance Measurement API, we’ve almost certainly got a bit of a wait. But we can expect that it will bring new possibilities to the way we interact with Bluetooth devices and enhance the way we locate and use them.
