Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Android 16 will ship higher help for LE Audio listening to aids, i.e. listening to aids that join by Bluetooth LE Audio.
- The replace consists of new ambient quantity controls that allow you to regulate the extent of exterior sound.
- It additionally provides a characteristic that lets customers change between the built-in mics on listening to aids and the mic on the cellphone throughout voice calls.
Google is continually working to make Android extra accessible, and ultimately week’s Galaxy Unpacked occasion, the corporate introduced that it was launching LE Audio compatibility for listening to aids. Google didn’t share many particulars about this new characteristic, besides that Android could be getting a brand new dialog that lets customers rapidly change presets. With the discharge of the primary Android 16 beta the next day, although, we realized a bit extra details about how Google is enhancing listening to support help in Android.
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In case you aren’t conscious, LE Audio is the newest Bluetooth audio commonplace, changing Bluetooth Traditional Audio profiles like A2DP. It’s composed of a set of Bluetooth profiles that every one function over Bluetooth Low Power. These profiles allow new options like Auracast, i.e. audio broadcasting over Bluetooth, and listening to support help. Listening to aids that use LE Audio take pleasure in enhanced efficiency, higher battery life, and improved compatibility throughout varied platforms.
Following the discharge of Android 16 Beta 1 final week, Google revealed documentation that exposed a number of the new listening to aid-related enhancements coming to Android. These embrace new ambient quantity controls for LE Audio listening to aids in addition to a characteristic that permits customers to make use of their cellphone’s microphone for voice calls as an alternative of the mic in listening to aids.
Ambient quantity controls for LEA listening to aids
Google says that Android 16 provides the flexibility for customers of LE Audio listening to aids to “regulate the quantity of ambient sound that’s picked up by the listening to support’s microphones.” This shall be useful in locations the place background noise is both too loud or too quiet.
Though the documentation doesn’t point out how customers can regulate the quantity of ambient sound, I discovered strings that recommend there shall be a brand new “environment” choice within the listening to support dialog. This feature will let customers management the ambient quantity of the left bud, the correct bud, or each on the identical time. There may also be an choice to rapidly mute or unmute sounds coming from environment.
Code
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_control">Environment</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_control_collapse">Collapse to unified management</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_control_expand">Increase to left and proper separated controls</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_control_left">Left</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_control_right">Proper</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_error">Couldn’t replace environment</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_mute">Mute environment</string>
<string identify="bluetooth_ambient_volume_unmute">Unmute environment</string>Moreover, there’s proof that is going to be tied to the brand new “environment” slider that Pixel Buds Professional 2 homeowners are seeing after updating to Android 16 Beta 1. It might be good if Google have been to replace the Pixel Buds Professional 2 to behave as listening to aids over LE Audio, however there’s no proof but to recommend that would be the case.
Telephone as microphone enter for voice calls with LEA listening to aids
Subsequent, Google says that Android 16 additionally provides the flexibility for customers of LE Audio listening to aids to “change between the built-in microphones on the listening to aids and the microphone on their cellphone for voice calls.” The corporate says this may be useful in noisy environments or in different conditions the place the listening to support’s microphone might not carry out properly. It can be useful to change mics when the battery is low on listening to aids, because it’ll assist extend their battery life.
Strings I discovered in Android 16 Beta 1 recommend that there shall be a “change” button within the notification that seems when related to a listening to support. There may also be a notification that seems when customers are in a voice name that informs them that they’ll change mics.
Code
<string identify="hearing_device_notification_settings_button">Settings</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_notification_switch_button">Swap</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_status_active">Energetic</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_status_connected">Related</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_status_disconnected">Disconnected</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_status_loading">Loading</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_switch_hearing_mic_notification_text">You need to use your listening to support microphone for hands-free calling. This solely switches your mic throughout the name.</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_switch_hearing_mic_notification_title">Swap to listening to support mic?</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_switch_phone_mic_notification_text">For higher sound or in case your listening to support battery is low. This solely switches your mic throughout the name.</string>
<string identify="hearing_device_switch_phone_mic_notification_title">Swap to cellphone mic?</string>It’s nice to see corporations like Google transcend what’s required of them. The FCC final 12 months mandated that cell phones within the US be appropriate with listening to aids, a rule that Android follows by supporting LE Audio. These two enhancements in Android 16 aren’t required by legislation, however they enhance the standard of life of people that depend on listening to aids. Hopefully Google additionally rolls out Quick Pair help for listening to aids quickly, as it’ll make it simpler for customers to pair their new listening to aids to their Android gadgets.
Google says these listening to support adjustments are reside in Android 16 Beta 1, however since I don’t have a pair of LE Audio listening to aids, I can’t check them for myself. In case you have an LE Audio listening to support and also you’re working Android 16 Beta 1 in your Pixel machine, tell us should you see these new options!
