Despite the ability to Cast music from a smartphone via Wi-Fi, we were surprised when Google Home arrived minus the ability to stream over a Bluetooth connection.
It wasn’t a deal breaker by any means, but it did limit users to using audio apps that had Chromecast functionality built-in, like Apple Music for example.
Well, at Google I/O, the firm promised to rectify the omission by rolling out Bluetooth streaming to its smart home speaker.
AndroidPolice spotted the ‘silent’ roll out, and found a new ‘Paired Bluetooth devices’ listing within the Home app’s device settings.
Related: Pixel 2
Google Home has been steadily improving since Google brought it to market in late 2016.
Elsewhere at I/O, Google confirmed the device was getting hands-free calling, Proactive Assistance from the Google Assistant and Visual Responses delivered to a paired mobile device.
Earlier this week, a study even claimed the device is six times smarter than the Amazon Echo, based on its ability to respond more intelligently to 3,000 questions pitched to both devices.
Is Google ultimately in a better position to overtake Amazon as the smart speaker pioneer? Or can Apple’s HomePod topple them both? Drop us a line in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.