Android 16 QPR1 brings back 'Audio Sharing' through Auracast, no Pixel Buds support yet

Google has been working on support for Bluetooth’s Auracast function in Android for a while now, and now “Audio Sharing” has returned, hopefully for good, in Android 16 QPR1.

Support for “Audio Sharing” via Auracast first popped up in early Android 15 builds, but didn’t go live by default until the first Android 16 releases. It then vanished in later builds, and still isn’t live as Google prepares for the stable release of Android 16 in the coming weeks.

In the first beta for Android 16 QPR1, though, Google has revived Audio Sharing support.

Found under Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences, “Audio Sharing” appears with the ability to connect to supported LE Audio headphones, and “Nearby audio streams” allows you to connect to Auracast broadcasts from other nearby users.

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Auracast is already supported on select Samsung Galaxy devices, but support is still relatively limited. Apple, for instance, does not readily support Auracast on iPhone yet.

While Pixel Buds Pro 2 do support Auracast, I couldn’t get it working with my Pixel 9 Pro Fold on Android 16 QPR1. Presumably, there’s still a bit more work to do to get that going.

Android 16 QPR1 will be available in the coming months, but Google Pixel owners can install the beta now.

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