- Google’s new Pixel Buds 2a lack Bluetooth audio sharing, highlighting a confusing and inconsistent implementation of the Auracast feature across Pixel devices.
- The feature is mysteriously disabled on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 when paired with a Pixel phone and artificially blocked on budget A-series phones.
- This haphazard approach hinders the adoption of the universal Auracast standard, which could solve audio sharing issues for all consumers.
Google’s newly announced Pixel Buds 2a are a big step up from the original A-series, boasting a more durable design, ANC, the Tensor A1 processor, and multipoint connectivity. It’s great to see the company bring so many features from its premium earbuds down to its budget lineup. However, the absence of Bluetooth audio sharing on the Pixel Buds 2a isn’t just a simple omission. It’s part of a confusing pattern we’ve recently discovered regarding audio sharing support across Pixel devices, leaving us questioning Google’s overall plans for the feature.
Audio sharing is a feature that allows you to start or listen to an audio broadcast. You can either share your own device’s audio with one or more nearby devices or join an existing broadcast started by another device. These broadcasts are transmitted over Bluetooth Low Energy and can be started or joined by any device that supports Auracast, the Bluetooth technology that enables this feature.