Android 13 to Allow for Media Control Sharing, Improved QR Codes, and More

It’s only been a few months since Android 12 started reaching (yet to reach a lot of phones) smartphones, and we are already moving on to its successor, which will most likely be called Android 13. Android 13 seems to be in the works, and new details have started popping up online left and right. Today, reports have given us a close look at some of its features, including tap to share media, improved QR code scanning, and more.

New Android 13 Features Leaked

As per an Android Police report (courtesy of an unknown but trusted source), Android 13 will come with a Media TTT (Tap to Transfer) functionality. It will enable the user to transfer media controls of an Android phone to another device, say, another phone, tablet, or laptop.

While there’s no word on how this feature will work, a look at its demo suggests that Google will show chip notifications when a user will transfer media controls. That means if a song is being played on one smartphone, it can be controlled on another using the feature. If one device is at a distance from another, users will be asked to move closer.

It is believed that TTT will make use of NFC or ultra-wideband chip to work. Plus, it could also work with Chromecast-enabled smart devices. It is expected to be similar to how users can transfer media from an iPhone to the Homepod.

Google is also expected to improve QR code scanning with Android 13. It is suggested that the new functionality will allow users to scan QR codes directly from the lock screen. Thus, this feature will make the process simpler and quicker than the current process of using the camera (or Google Lens) to scan QR codes.

It remains to be seen if a dedicated shortcut is introduced, or it will be done via the power button. Android 13 is also likely to get QR code quick settings.

Additionally, Android’s audio output picker is expected to be redesigned. For those who don’t know, it is a button placed in the upper right corner of the media player notification to list all the nearby devices available to connect for audio.

This comes in addition to the recently leaked Android 13 details that involved the Tiramisu codename, per-app language settings, runtime permissions for notifications, and more expected features.

One thing worth mentioning is that there’s no word on whether or not these features will be introduced with Android 13, since it’s too early to comment. We shall know the details once Google will announce some official information, and this could happen in a few months when its first developer preview is released. Until then, stay tuned for more details.