Almost exactly a year after Apple first introduced its new Continuity features with iOS 8, Samsung is unveiling its own version of the features with a new app that makes it easier to switch between multiple devices.
The Korea-based smartphone manufacturer just released Flow, a new Android app that allows people with certain Samsung devices to switch between the same apps on their tablets and smartphone.
The app is still in beta, but eventually Samsung says it will bring the capability to other devices like televisions and smartwatches.
Once the app (available now, in Google Play) is installed on at least two devices, you can transfer or defer tasks to another supported device.
If you’re watching a YouTube video on your smartphone, for example, you can pause the video and resume it on your tablet or opt to finish it later.
The app uses Android’s built-in sharing menu so it already works with thousands of apps, according to Samsung, though developers who want to take advantage of the feature can bake a Flow button directly into their apps.
Flow relies on bluetooth and Wi-Fi — not a cloud service — so both devices also need to be physically close to each other or on the same Wi-Fi network in order for it to work.
Samsung says it will also add notifications, mirroring, multitasking and other features in future versions.
The app is U.S-only for now and only supports the company’s most recent flagships: the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the Galaxy S5, the Note 4 and Note Edge, Galaxy Alpha and the Galaxy Tab S tablet, but the company says it plans to add the app’s capabilities to its smartwatches, televisions and other devices in the future.
This video provides a closer look at how the app may work with other types of devices once Samsung expands the feature.
Source: mashable.com