I ditched third-party audio apps for this hidden Pixel setting that adjusts sound automatically
Android Police 2026-07-01 12:00:10
Context: The author, Jade Bryan Jardinico, a feature author at Android Police, discovered a hidden native feature on his Google Pixel 9 Pro XL called Adaptive Sound, which automatically adjusts the phone's speaker sound based on its surroundings. This feature, introduced on the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5, was found to significantly improve sound clarity, especially during hands-free calls and when streaming music. The author, who previously relied on third-party equalizer apps, found Adaptive Sound to be a game-changer.
Key Facts
- The author used to rely on third-party equalizer apps on his older devices, but switched to native audio settings on his recent Android phones, including the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, due to concerns over privacy and battery life.
- Adaptive Sound, introduced by Google on the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5, uses the phone's microphones to analyze the surroundings and dynamically adjust the speaker's power and equalizer settings to enhance sound clarity.
- The feature creates an acoustic profile of the space by using ambient data, such as background noise and room echo, and automatically tweaks the speaker settings on the fly based on the current environment.
- When enabled, Adaptive Sound noticeably improves the audio quality on the Pixel 9 Pro XL, making it sound more balanced and less tinny, especially in enclosed spaces or when placed near a corner.
- To enable Adaptive Sound on a Pixel phone, users can navigate to Settings > Sound and vibration, scroll down to the Audio section, and toggle the feature on, as it is currently disabled by default.