Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write For Us
    • Newsletter
    • Contact
    Instagram
    About ChromebooksAbout Chromebooks
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Business
    • How to
      • IP Address
    • Apps
    • Q&A
      • Opinion
    • Podcast
    • Gaming
    • Blog
    • Contact
    About ChromebooksAbout Chromebooks
    Home»News»Can Chromebooks share Bluetooth audio? Maybe soon with AuraCast.
    News

    Can Chromebooks share Bluetooth audio? Maybe soon with AuraCast.

    Kevin TofelBy Kevin TofelJune 8, 2022Updated:May 8, 2025No Comments3 Mins Read
    Chromebooks share Bluetooth audio
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    There are definitely times when I’d like to wirelessly share the audio of my Chromebook so others can hear what I hear. Sometimes it’s a video or a movie and other times it’s a podcast or music. The Bluetooth SIG recently announced a way to make this happen and it’s called AuraCast. Can Chromebooks share Bluetooth audio to a number of wireless output devices such as speakers, headphones, and more with AuraCast? In theory, yes.

    Can Chromebooks share Bluetooth audio? Not yet.

    Although every Chromebook has a Bluetooth radio, AuraCast is part of the Bluetooth LE Audio specification suite. The feature has been announced but the official specification doesn’t arrive until later this year. That means Google will have to wait for the spec and then build in the proper Chrome OS support for sharing Bluetooth audio to multiple devices.

    It’s highly likely that Google has seen the draft specification at this point. So I would expect to see some Chrome OS code changes in the coming months to support AuraCast. As of the time of writing, I didn’t find any references to this, however.

    Will Chromebooks need new hardware to share Bluetooth audio?

    Based on the Bluetooth SIG announcement for AuraCast, it doesn’t appear so. If AuraCast is part of the Bluetooth LE Audio spec and your Chromebook supports Bluetooth LE already, there’s a good chance your laptop will support AuraCast. It’s going to depend, however, on the official spec and the Bluetooth version AuraCast requires.

    Bluetooth audio Chromebook

    For example, the newest Chromebooks typically support Bluetooth 5.2. Some Chromebooks from last year only support Bluetooth 5 or 5.1. So if AuraCast requires Bluetooth 5.2, only those recent Chromebooks can share Bluetooth audio. Until the official spec is released, we just don’t know the full requirements.

    New headphones may be required to hear shared Bluetooth audio

    This part is a bit of a downer because the Bluetooth SIG mentions AuraCast enabled headphones:

    When using wireless earbuds to listen to a song or movie playing on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, Auracast broadcast audio will allow family or friends to join in and listen using their own Auracast enabled Bluetooth earbuds or hearing device.  

    Even if your Chromebook can share Bluetooth audio then, it appears that only people with AuraCast-enabled headphones or speakers will hear it. I’m sure we’ll see new products from the headphone companies that do support the new feature, either by year-end or at January’s Consumer Electronics show.

    Share Bluetooth audio

    Maybe I’m in the minority here and most Chromebook users don’t want to share audio from their laptops. Is it just me, or is this a feature you’d want to use?

    AuraCast Bluetooth Chromebooks ChromeOS
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Kevin Tofel
    • Website

    After spending 15 years in IT at Fortune 100 companies, Kevin turned a hobby into a career and began covering mobile technology in 2003. He writes daily on the industry and has co-hosted the weekly MobileTechRoundup podcast since 2006. His writing has appeared in print (The New York Times, PC Magazine and PC World) and he has been featured on NBC News in Philadelphia.

    Comments are closed.

    Top Posts

    chrome://flags/#crostini-gpu-support: How to Enable Crostini GPU Support on Chrome OS

    May 13, 2025

    Kahoot vs. Quizizz: Which EdTech Tool Is Right For Your Classroom?

    May 13, 2025

    Understanding the Price of Ethereum: Factors and Future Implications

    May 13, 2025

    Increase Foot Traffic with a Conversion-Driven Poster Maker

    May 13, 2025

    How to Disable or Restore the Chrome Download Bubble Using chrome://flags/#download-bubble

    May 12, 2025
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Write For Us
    • Newsletter
    • Contact
    © 2025 About Chrome Books. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.