Android users with Wear OS smartwatches often rely on their watch to control their phone’s audio, such as playing and pausing videos. However, currently, if you want to change your phone’s audio output to a different device, like switching from your phone’s speaker to headphones, you have to make that adjustment directly on your phone. But exciting news is on the horizon with the upcoming Android 15 update.

When you pair an Android phone with a Wear OS watch, you typically install a companion app that syncs your devices and requests permissions for various functions like notifications and calls. Recent code changes suggest that companion apps targeting Android 15 may soon be able to request a new permission called MEDIA_ROUTING_CONTROL. This permission would allow the app, and by extension your smartwatch, to change your phone’s audio output destination in real-time, even if the audio is coming from a different app.

This development offers a new level of convenience for users. Picture this scenario: you’re watching a video on your phone with sound coming from the speaker. With this new feature, you could seamlessly switch the audio output to headphones just by using your smartwatch without disrupting the video playback. Similarly, if you’re enjoying music on your phone in one room but want to transfer it to a smart speaker in another room, a few taps on your watch could make it happen effortlessly.

While specifics about which Wear OS devices will support this feature remain unclear, it’s likely that updates will be required for both the smartwatch and companion app. Google has not officially mentioned this functionality for its Pixel Watch 2 or the original Pixel watch yet, but there is potential for these devices to incorporate it in future updates. Stay tuned for more information as developments unfold!