Android 15 could get a serious Bluetooth LE Audio boost

Ever since headphone jacks aren’t a thing anymore on phones, Android has had to lean heavily on Bluetooth for audio. The standard has never been ideal for the purpose, but over the last few years, big strides have been made to lower energy consumption and latency and improve sound quality thanks to Bluetooth LE Audio. The new standard, first available with Bluetooth 5.2, even makes it possible to connect multiple headphones to a single source, and with Android 15, this process might become significantly easier.

As discovered by Android expert Mishaal Rahman, writing for Android Authority, Google might plan to add improved Bluetooth broadcasting capabilities in Android 15. Bluetooth broadcasts are a part of the Bluetooth Auracast specification, introduced in mid-2022, which allows you to send out a Bluetooth signal to multiple receivers – similar to how a radio station can send its stream to multiple receivers tuned to the same frequency, just with optional encryption and a lower range.

Source: Android Authority

While Android has supported Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio on a technical level since Android 13 through the media player interface, it’s not exactly easy or intuitive to connect or even set up shared audio experiences. Hidden within the settings app in the latest Android 14 QPR2 beta, Mishaal Rahman was able to activate a new settings screen for audio streams. The feature allows you to scan a QR code to tap into a Bluetooth stream, and there should also be a list of nearby audio streams below it. You can also select which audio devices you want to listen with.

The screen should sit under Settings → Connected devices → Connection preferences. While that’s still a little buried, Google might also add a shortcut to it in the Bluetooth settings or in the quick settings tile. It’s clear that it’s still early days for the feature, which is why Mishaal Rahman thinks it’s an Android 15 feature rather than one we could see in the March or June Android 14 Feature Drop. Of course, given that this is something that is still under development, Google could pull it forward or postpone it further as it pleases, and it could still change substantially before it ever reaches the light of day.

We will likely see a lot more Bluetooth LE Audio devices in the near future, which will be necessary for this to work. With that in mind, it makes sense for Google to get the foundation ready.