Google Play Services v26.42 Lets Android Phones Connect to Android XR Glasses

Google has added phone-side support for Android XR glasses in Google Play services v26.42, as spotted by MIXED. Google's own system release notes list the v26.42 update, dated October 26, with a single line under Device Connectivity: "You can now connect Android XR glasses to your phone."

What changed

Play services is the background system component Google updates automatically on certified Android phones, so the feature can reach existing handsets without a full Android update. The release notes do not name any compatible glasses or list minimum phone requirements, and MIXED notes that Google has not tied the entry to a hardware release date or country availability. The same update also adds silent background pairing for wireless earbuds and other connectivity fixes.

Which glasses it is for

At Google I/O in May, Google said in a blog post that it would release two kinds of "intelligent eyewear": audio glasses with no display, and display glasses that show information in your view. Audio glasses come first, "later this fall," with designs developed with Samsung and eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. Wearers can reach Gemini by saying "Hey Google" or tapping the frame.

Features Google has described for the audio glasses include:

• Making calls, sending messages and taking photos without taking out the phone.
• Spoken directions that account for where you are standing and which way you face.
• Hearing translations, and having Gemini summarize missed messages.

MIXED adds that Google has promised pairing with both Android and iOS phones. This update covers only the Android side.

What it means

The glasses still have no announced price or release date. Because the connection ships through Play services, compatible Android phones can receive it automatically before any glasses go on sale, and Google has described the eyewear as working with apps on your phone. They are a different product from XREAL Aura, the wired Android XR glasses that went on sale on October 28 and use their own pocket compute unit rather than a phone.