What you need to know
- A report claims that Google is developing a new settings page called “Hearing Wellness” for Pixels.
- This page will house Android’s Sound Exposure and Hearing Health options, which lets Pixels automatically lower your volume if it’s too loud.
- Hearing Wellness is reportedly giving users the choice of either letting their Pixel automatically reduce their volume or not, something users were quite critical about in the past.
- Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 recently rolled out for enrolled Pixels following the Pixel 10 launch.
Google is reportedly developing an interface where users can toggle whether or not their Pixel phone can automatically lower their earbuds’ volume.
The new interface was spotted by Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority), which shows that Google is working on a new “Hearing Wellness” settings page. Rahman posted some screenshots on Threads earlier today (Aug 22), showing the new Hearing Wellness page hosting two toggles: Sound Exposure notifications and Hearing Health.
In the screenshot, the page will inform users that Sound Exposure will send a notification, stating that their “exposure limit is exceeded.” The latter, Hearing Health, is the main autonomous ability for your Pixel to lower your volume.
Rahman states the Hearing Wellness page is designed to give users control over this Pixel function, something they previously lacked.
As Rahman states, both options were introduced in Android 14 QPR1, but never made it onto stable builds until Android 15. The publication highlighted user distaste with this feature, though it was implemented out of regulatory reasons. While it’s unclear when this feature could roll out for Pixels, its existence may give users some relief as choice is seemingly on the way.
Android 16 continues
It’s been a wild week for Google, but it still had room for dessert, which is just code for another Android 16 QPR beta. The company started rolling out Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 to enrolled Pixel users and devices shortly after the Made by Google event concluded. The main points about the QPR update were the expansion of dark theme, auto-themed icons, and developer APIs.
The dark mode “expansion” more so forces apps that are typically only light theme to adhere to this darker aesthetic. We’ve already had Fitbit start rolling out dark mode (finally), so we’ll likely see that in even more places as users look to alleviate eye fatigue when on their phones.
We’ll have to wait and see what else—and more substantial—this QPR2 phase brings for Pixels, as the original iteration showcased its major Material 3 Expressive redesign.