Google’s Adaptive Sound feature silently rolled out to the Pixel 6 series.
What you need to know
- The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have received an update that includes the Adaptive Sound feature.
- The feature allows Pixel smartphones to adjust the audio equalizer based on their surroundings.
- Adaptive Sound is apparently being rolled out as a server-side update, so it won’t be available to everyone right away.
Google appears to have quietly pushed the Adaptive Sound feature to the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to adjust the phones’ audio quality depending on the environment.
Adaptive Sound first became available on some of Google’s best Android phones release last year, including the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G as part of a feature drop that was rolled out late last year. The Pixel 6 series didn’t have the feature at launch, but Mishaal Rahman has discovered it on his Pixel 6.
Did anyone else with a Pixel 6 just get Adaptive Sound? It showed up in Settings for me this morning. I thought this feature was made as a bandaid for the Pixel 5’s crappy speaker, so I didn’t expect the Pixel 6 to get it ? pic.twitter.com/QzllOGBy37
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) November 9, 2021
For the uninitiated, the feature uses the phone’s microphones to adjust its audio equalizer settings depending on the surroundings. It works by assessing “the acoustics near you.” The goal is to provide improved audio quality to Pixel owners, a handy experience especially if your device has a mediocre-sounding speaker.
Seeing as the feature uses your phone’s mic, Google makes sure the process occurs on-device to protect your privacy. Audio files will also be removed after they’re recorded and Google says it won’t store conversations on its servers.
However, there are a few caveats, the most notable of which is that Adaptive Sound can be hardly noticeable at higher volumes. Adaptive Sound is also turned off by default, so you’ll have to manually enable it by heading over to your phone’s settings and then toggle the “Adaptive Sound” option under the sound section. Click here for our complete guide.
The feature appears to be rolling out as a server-side update, so you may not notice it on your device right away. Nonetheless, it’s a welcome expansion after Google limited it to the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G.
Google Pixel 6 Pro
$899 at Amazon
$899 at Best Buy
Google went all out for the Pixel 6 Pro, offering a full-fledged flagship phone at an affordable price. Using its own in-house silicon and a slew of AI-powered features, the Pixel 6 Pro rockets to the top of this year’s must-buy smartphone list.
