It’s rare for new wireless technologies to come along.Ultra-wideband(UWB) is actually one of the more recent examples, even though it’s been in smartphones since 2019’siPhone 11. That’s still recent enough thatAndroid phonemakers are continuing to catch up in support.
The good news is that if your phone does have UWB, there are a number of features it enables in Android. We’ll cover a slice of those below – bearing in mind that we’re expecting more to be added over time. As a rule, you should update to the latest version of Android and any relevant apps to make sure features are enabled.
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1Quick Share
Accelerated file sharing with friends and family
Quick Shareis Android’s local device-to-device file transfer tool, pretty conspicuously modeled after Apple’sAirDrop. While you don’t need UWB to use Quick Share – it also taps into Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi – UWB seems to be the ideal protocol, improving the feature’s speed, reliability, and precision. Those are handy qualities when the goal is to be faster than sharing via email or a messaging app.
If you’re a little confused, it may be because Samsung used to have a proprietary Quick Share option, which was merged with the more common Nearby Share found on other Android devices. Google points out that Nearby Share and the updated Quick Share are compatible, as the difference is mostly just a question of naming.
How I enable and use ultra-wideband (UWB) on my Android
UWB is the MVP when it comes to unlocking your car, tracking your keys, and more.
2Android digital car key
Unlock your car without touching a thing
You have to be in a very fortunate position to take advantage of this, owning not just a UWB-compatible phone but a relatively recent vehicle with the right trim. When it’s available, though, the UWB version ofAndroid digital car keycan feel like magic. It enables “passive entry,” meaning your car will unlock as you approach with your phone, start when you get in, and lock again when you walk away. More importantly, this works without having to unlock your phone unless you change settings.
If you have security concerns, don’t worry – you’re able to disable passive entry entirely. As backup, any car with UWB support should still allow unlocking and/or starting your car by bringing your phone next to the appropriate NFC reader. You may even be able to use NFC after your phone’s battery is officially “dead,” since some devices keep marginal power in reserve. Always bring a physical key as backup, though.
Which Android phones support ultra-wideband (UWB)?
Ultra-wideband rose to mainstream awareness on the iPhone, but it has just as much potential to be useful on these Android phones.
3Precise Find My Device tracking
Find those keys hidden under your couch pillow
Find My Deviceis Google’s answer to Apple’s Find My network, letting Android users track a range of devices if they get lost or stolen. Most of the time this relies on a combination of cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, the last helping with both local and remote crowdsourced tracking. UWB, however, is specifically involved in short range functions. It makes it possible to pinpoint the location of something within a room, including distance info. If you’re prone to misplacing things, your rescue is here.
There are a few catches. First, both your phone and the thing you want to track have to be equipped with UWB and linked to your Google account. Second, Google only began rolling out its revamped Find My Device network in May 2024, so UWB support is extremely new. As of this writing, the only UWB-equipped item tracker for the network is the Moto Tag.
Here are all of the gadgets that support Google’s Find My Device network
Several brands have revealed Bluetooth trackers and devices that support Google’s Find My Device app including Chipolo, Pebblebee, Sony, and JBL.
4Automatic Google Cast handovers
Quickly move your media around – if you’re a Pixel fan
One of the beautiful things about Google-equipped smart displays is support forGoogle Cast, making it possible to watch or listen to just about anything on them as long as you’ve got a compatible app on your phone. Later in 2024, the company will be taking advantage of UWB to let you cast by bringing one device next to another instead of using app controls.
There are some very big catches to this one. Handovers will initially be limited to UWB-ready Pixel phones and thePixel Tablet, and even then, only audio streams from Spotify and YouTube Music. We’re not sure when other audio apps will be compatible, never mind video services like Netflix or the flagship version of YouTube. There’s also a possibility that Google will keep the tech exclusive to its fork of Android, though a lot of Pixel features tend to spread to the rest of Android over time.
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