Use Sound Amplifier

You can use Sound Amplifier with wired or Bluetooth headphones to filter, augment, and amplify the sounds in your environment or on your Android device.

Download and turn on Sound Amplifier

Note: If you have a Pixel 4, 3a, or 3, skip to the Pixel section below.

  1. Download Sound Amplifier on Google Play.
  2. Connect wired headphones to your Android device.
  3. Go to the Apps section.
  4. Tap the Sound Amplifier app Sound Amplifier.

Pixel: Turn on Sound Amplifier

Sound Amplifier is already installed on Pixel 4, 3a, and 3 phones. To get started, follow these steps:

  1. Open your device's Settings app Settings app.
  2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Sound Amplifier.
  3. Tap Open Sound Amplifier. 
  4. To accept the permissions, tap OK. 
  5. Optional: Change your Sound Amplifier shortcut. Learn about accessibility shortcuts.
  6. Connect wired or Bluetooth headphones to your device.
  7. To start Sound Amplifier, use your Sound Amplifier shortcut (2-finger swipe up, or tap the Accessibility button Accessibility).

Change Sound Amplifier settings

You can change the loudness and tuning levels to adjust to your current environment.

  1. While Sound Amplifier is running, swipe down from the top of your screen, then tap the Sound Amplifier notification.
  2. Explore these options:
    • Pause amplification: Tap Pause Pause.
    • Change the sound settings: On the Sound tab, try changing the Boost and Fine tuning controls to find the setup that works best for you. 
    • Adjust ears separately: On the Sound tab, turn on Adjust ears separately to apply settings to the right and left audio independently. For Bluetooth headphones, this setting only applies to on-device audio, not to sound from your surroundings.
    • Reduce unwanted sounds: On the Noise tab, change the noise reduction level.

Troubleshoot issues with Bluetooth headphones

With Bluetooth headphones, sound might be delayed or lower quality. To improve the sound quality and reduce the delay, try these steps:

  1. In Sound Amplifier, go to the Source tab. In the Microphone menu, select Device mic.  
  2. Bring your headphones closer to your phone, and avoid placing objects between the headphones and your phone.  

Some brands of Bluetooth headphones might have lower quality audio and latency. If the steps above don't improve your sound quality, try switching to wired headphones.  

More options

  • Use Sound Amplifier as a remote microphone. Place your phone near a TV or speaker, then use your Bluetooth headphones. You’ll hear audio in your headphones while the sound remains at a comfortable volume for others. 
  • Use Sound Amplifier for video and audio playing on your device. This option is available for Pixel phones with Android 10. Learn how to check and update your Android version.