Struggling to pair your phone with Googlebook? Google says a fix is rolling out now

One issue some Googlebook users are seeing is that their Pixel phones refuse to pair with the new laptops. Colleague Paul Jones and I are also seeing this issue on our Googlebooks. Fortunately, Google has now confirmed the cause of the issue and outlined a solution.

Googlebook users need to pair their phone with their laptop by tapping the phone icon on the laptop’s taskbar and then scanning the resulting QR code when prompted to do so. We were able to scan the code with our Pixels, which takes us to the cross-device services toggles on our phones. Unfortunately, the QR code screen didn’t disappear on our laptops, while the cross-device features didn’t work either.

Meanwhile, other affected users reported that they were stuck in a similar situation after previously being able to connect their Pixels to their Googlebooks.

Now, a Google representative has confirmed the cause of the issue in an emailed response to Android Authority:

An update on this. This isn’t a hardware or Pixel-specific compatibility issue, so your Pixel 9 Pro XL is fully supported (as long as it is running Android 17). What you and Paul ran into is a known first-time setup timing issue where the taskbar QR code stays on screen after phone enrollment completes.

The representative added that Google has started rolling out a Google Play Services app update this week that resolves this timing problem. This update is separate from the monthly Google Play System update. The company added that my embargoed Android 17 phone “pulled down the updated build right away,” which explains why I had no issues pairing this device with my Googlebook.

Google also issued instructions to us to address the issue:

To get your Pixel 9 Pro XL connected, manually update Google Play services on both your Pixel and Googlebook via Settings > Apps > See all apps > Google Play services > App details > Update, and update Cross-device services by long-pressing (or right-clicking) the Play Store app icon and selecting My apps > Update all. Then confirm on your Pixel under Settings > Cross-device services > Continue activity that Tasks, Apps, Notifications, and Files & media sharing are toggled on, then restart both devices once for the changes to take effect.

I tried these steps late yesterday and I still couldn’t get my Pixel to pair with my Googlebook, even after a factory reset of the laptop. However, I spotted pending system updates on the Googlebook this morning by visiting Settings > account name > all services > System services. After applying these updates and restarting both devices, my Pixel was finally paired to my laptop.

Unfortunately, Paul notes that these steps still aren’t working for him. But I’m guessing that he might not have received the specific Google Play Services app update that addresses this issue. This is nevertheless encouraging news for people who have been struggling to connect their phones to their Googlebooks. So I’d definitely recommend waiting a couple of days for the update to reach your devices. This issue also comes after it turned out that Galaxy phones don’t work with these new Google-powered laptops. However, the company says support will arrive in the “coming weeks.”

In any event, the Googlebook’s cross-device features mean you can cast your phone’s apps to your laptop. It also allows you to continue tasks on your laptop after starting them on your phone. Perhaps my favorite feature is that your phone’s storage is seamlessly accessible via the laptop’s Files app, reducing the need for Quick Share or wired connections.