Enable Googlebook Better Together on Samsung Phones

Googlebook laptops promise deep integration with Android phones through Better Together features. At launch on October 4, 2026, those features skipped Samsung Galaxy devices even when they ran Android 17. Google has now started rolling out the missing support.

This guide covers the exact requirements and steps to turn on Continue On, Cast My Apps, Quick Access, and Notification Sync between your Googlebook and a compatible Galaxy phone.

What Better Together Does

Better Together links your phone and Googlebook so tasks move between them without extra steps. Continue On surfaces active app tasks from your phone in the Googlebook taskbar. Cast My Apps opens phone apps in a window on the laptop. Quick Access surfaces phone content. Notification Sync keeps alerts in step across both devices.

These features require Android 17 on the phone. Pixel phones worked from day one. Samsung phones needed additional updates that began rolling out on October 10, 2026.

Check Requirements First

Confirm three things before you start:

• Your Galaxy phone runs Android 17 with One UI 9.0. Open Settings > About phone > Software information and check the Android version.
• Both devices use the same personal Google Account.
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on for both.

Google lists Samsung (One UI 9.0) among compatible Android 17 phones alongside Pixel, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, Motorola, and others. Not every Galaxy model has received One UI 9 yet. Check your model against current rollout lists if the features still fail after the steps below.

Update Play Services and Cross-Device Services

The rollout depends on specific app versions. Update both on your phone:

1. Open the Play Store and search for Google Play services. Update to version 26.37 or higher. If it does not appear, go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, tap the menu, choose Show system, then select Google Play services > App details in store > Update.
2. Search the Play Store for Cross-device services. Update to version 1.0.1346 or higher using the same method.

These updates also fix a timing bug where the pairing QR code stayed visible after setup finished. They reduce the number of steps in the first-time setup flow.

Enable Continue Activity Settings

After the updates finish:

1. On your phone, open Settings and search for Cross-device services.
2. Tap Continue activity.
3. Turn on Tasks, Apps, Notifications, and Files & media sharing.

Restart both your phone and your Googlebook. Use a private home Wi-Fi network. Hotel, cafe, office, and guest networks often block local device connections through client isolation. Pause any VPN or DNS blocker while you test.

Pair the Devices

With the requirements met and services updated:

1. Sign into the same Google Account on the Googlebook if you have not already.
2. Follow the on-screen prompts to pair your phone. The smoother setup should now complete without the QR code lingering.
3. Once paired, test Continue On by starting a task in a supported app on your phone, then check the Googlebook taskbar.

Some Galaxy users confirmed the features began working after these Play Services updates. Results can vary by exact model and region while the rollout continues.

Tips for Reliable Sync

Keep both devices on the same Wi-Fi network without isolation rules. Charge the phone while updating so background services finish promptly. If features still fail, recheck the Android version and One UI 9 status, then force-stop and restart Cross-device services.

For more on Googlebook basics, see our earlier guide on pairing your Android phone with Googlebook.

Conclusion

Samsung Galaxy phones on Android 17 and One UI 9 can now use Googlebook Better Together features after the October 2026 Play Services and Cross-device Services updates. Confirm the version requirements, enable the Continue activity toggles, and restart both devices on a home network. Most users should see Continue On, app casting, and notification sync become available within a short time.

Sources

• Google community post on Reddit (r/Googlebook), October 10, 2026
• 9to5Google reporting on the Samsung support rollout, October 10, 2026
• Android.com Better Together overview page