Google released Chrome 103, where it has been trying to fix the sync issues users have had with Google devices for years, starting with Phone Hub.
In this new update (Opens in a new tab), the feature improves the way photos taken on your Android device appear on your other Google devices, like Chromebooks and tablets, as long as you're signed in to the same account.
There's also, finally, a better way to share Wi-Fi passwords thanks to Near Sharing. Once you're connected to a network, you can share it with another Chromebook or smartphone like the Pixel 6, for example, allowing them to connect to the network in an instant.
It's nice to finally see these quality-of-life features coming from Google, considering Apple has had them for years. However, while the company says this is just the beginning of what it wants to do for device syncing, it should have happened much sooner.
Analysis: good start Google, now let's see more
We are in an era where many users own more than one smart device and many of them are powered by Google software. Given that it has been difficult to share content between devices for years, it is disconcerting that the company has not acted sooner to improve this.
Apple's iCloud service, for example, has allowed sharing tabs and Wi-Fi passwords between users since 2015, while pairing your AirPods with an iPhone has been around since 2017, while Google only introduced a similar feature in 2021.
It's time for the company to get its act together on this, and it's reassuring that it appears to be doing so. However, time will tell how quickly these changes will come to Android 13, Chrome OS, and more.