Sound & Vibration

These settings in your Google Pixel will control anything on your phone that has the potential to make sound or vibrate.

To turn the volume up or down for any of these categories like the volume will you’re on a call or to turn up music or other media volume, you can simply use the volume buttons on the side of the phone while you are using a feature on the phone regardless of what these settings are set too. For example, if you are listening to music or on a call, you can increase or decrease the volume as needed.

To change the volume on any of the following settings, simply drag the slider left (to decrease volume) or right (to increase volume).

Media Volume

Media Volume will control the volume of music, videos, games and other types of media.

Call Volume

The call volume will change how loud the sound of the other person is while you’re on a phone call, on speaker phone or on a video call.

Ring & Notification Volume

This setting will control how loud your ringtone is when you get a phone or video call and how loud your notifications are when you get a text message or any other app notification.

Alarm Volume

This setting will control how loud your alarms will be.

Do Not Disturb

For more on Do Not Disturb settings click on the link.

Phone Ringtone

At the very top of this screen you will see you’re Currently Set Ringtone. Your default ringtone will be set as “Your New Adventure” from the Pixel Sounds category. If you want to change your ringtone you will have a few preset options to do so, or you can download ringtones and/or make your own. When you open Phone Ringtone, you will see the following categories:

• Currently Set

  • This is the ringtone that you currently have set for your device when you get a phone call.

• My Sounds

  • In My Sounds you will be able to access any ringtones you have downloaded or and sounds you have recorded.
  • To add a sound, tap on the Plus Icon in the bottom right corner.
  • Then you will see a list of your sounds that are stored on Google Drive.
  • You can also tap on the Hamburger Icon (the three horizontal lines) in the top left corner to open sounds from your Audio and Downloaded folders.
  • Choose a sound you want and that sound will show up in the My Sounds folder in Phone Ringtone.
  • Click on the sound from the My Sounds folder and tap on Save in the top right hand corner of the screen to add the sound as your ringtone.

• Pixel Sounds

• Natural Elements

• Material Adventures

• Classical Harmonies

• Minimal Melodies

• Reality Bytes

• Retro Riffs

• Play It Loud

• Seasonal Celebrations

Live Caption

Live Caption is a feature that essentially provides subtitles when your phone detects sounds. 

To turn Live Captions on, you go to Settings > Sound & Vibration > Live Caption and turn on the switch next to where it says Use Live Caption. You can press the either one of the volume buttons on the side of the phone and tap on the Live Caption Icon (the box beneath the volume bar on the right side of the phone) and turn it on or off.

Note: For the second option you must have Live Caption in Volume Control turned on.

Language & Translation

Live caption can translate speech into other languages as well.

Caption Languages

Under Caption Languages you will see all the languages that Live Caption is capable of translating or reading.

• To add a language, tap on Add a Language and choose from an available language on the list.
• Then tap on the Download Icon (the downward Facing arrow with the line underneath it) to download the language.
• To delete a language tap on the Trash Can Icon to the right of the language and click on Remove Language.

Preferred Language

To set a preferred language, tap on Translate Captions To and select or download a language from the list.

Hide Profanity

If you want profanity hidden during live captions or you want to unhide it, toggle the switch on or off next to Hide Profanity.

Show Sound Labels

This will cause Live Caption to type out sound labels like laughter, applause, and music.

Live Caption in Volume Control

When this is on you will be able to turn Live Caption on and off by pressing either of the volume buttons on the side of the phone and tapping on the box beneath the volume bar on the right side of the phone.

Caption Calls

This will show captions while you are on a phone call so you can read what the other person is saying on the phone call you will have three options to control this setting.

• Ask Every Time

  • Your phone will give you a prompt that you can approve or deny every time you make or receive a phone call to choose if you want captions for phone calls on or off.

• Always

  • Your phone will always provide captions for phone calls.

• Off

  • Your phone will never provide captions for phone calls.

Type Responses During Calls

While you are on a call and captions are on, you will be able to read what the other person is saying and you will be able to type a text to the person you are on a call with and have your text read aloud to the other person.

Voice for Typed Responses

When you have Type Responses During Calls on, you will be able to change the tone of the voice that reads aloud your text when you’re on a call.

Adaptive Sound

Adaptive Sound will improve the sound quality from your phones speaker. It will use your microphone to assess the sounds around you and then it adjusts the equalizer settings for your environment. In other words, it will hear the sounds around you wherever you’re at and make the sound coming from your phone sound better.

Note: The sound that your phone analyzes is deleted immediately and never leaves your device.

Now Playing

This feature will listen to a song and tells you what it is. It will tell you the song name and the artist.

Notifications

This will take you to the Android System Intelligence Notification screen. This is basically an AI (artificial intelligence) feature which “Now Playing” falls in that category. You can allow all Android System Intelligence Notifications but turning on the switch and underneath where it says Other, you can toggle on and off notifications for different intelligence features.

Allow Notification Dot

When this is on, you will see a green notification dot in the top right corner of the Android System Intelligence apps that you have notifications turned on for.

Show Search Button on Lock Screen

If there is a song that is heard by your phone that it doesn’t recognize, you will be able to search for it from your lock screen.

Now Playing History

This will provide a list of all the songs that have been recognized by your device.

• From this screen you can favorite the songs by tapping on the heart next to the song.
• You can also tap on the song to search for it on you tube, add to liked songs, and add to playlist.
• If you tap on the More Icon (the three dots) then you can also Share the song or Ask Google.

Media

Pin Media Player

When this is turned on, you can quickly resume or pause playing a type of media. The media player will stay open in your quick settings. To access Quick Settings, swipe down from the top of your screen.

Show Media Recommendations

When this is turned on you will receive recommendations from your Pixel based on your activity (how you use your phone).

Vibration & Haptics

This will control how and when your phone vibrates. To turn vibration on, turn on the switch to the right of where it says Use Vibration & Haptics.

Calls

• Ring Vibration

  • This will adjust the intensity of your Ring Vibration when you receive a phone call.

• Vibrate First Then Ring Gradually

  • If you don’t want your phone to ring right away at max volume you can make it vibrate first then slowing ring until you hear it.

Notifications and Alarms

• Notification Vibration

  • This will adjust the vibration intensity for notifications.

• Alarm Vibration

  • This will adjust the vibration intensity for alarms.

Interactive Haptics

• Touch Feedback

  • This will adjust the vibration intensity of how your phone vibrates when you tap on your phone either when you’re texting or tapping through settings on your phone.

• Media Vibration

  • This will adjust the vibration intensity of any media on your phone.

Default Notification Sound

At the very top of this screen you will see you’re Currently Set Notification Sound. Your default sound will be set as “Eureka” from the Pixel Sounds category. If you want to change your notification sound you will have a few preset options to do so, or you can download sounds and/or make your own. When you open Default Notification Sound, you will see the following categories:

• Currently Set

  • This is the notification sound that you currently have set for your device when you get a notification from a text message or app.

• My Sounds

  • In My Sounds you will be able to access any notification sounds you have downloaded or and sounds you have recorded.
  • To add a sound, tap on the Plus Icon in the bottom right corner.
  • Then you will see a list of your sounds that are stored on Google Drive.
  • You can also tap on the Hamburger Icon (the three horizontal lines) in the top left corner to open sounds from your Audio and Downloaded folders.
  • Choose a sound you want and that sound will show up in the My Sounds folder in Default Notification Sound.
  • Click on the sound from the My Sounds folder and tap on Save in the top right hand corner of the screen to add the sound as your notification sound.

• Pixel Sounds

• Natural Elements

• Material Adventures

• Classical Harmonies

• Minimal Melodies

• Reality Bytes

• Retro Riffs

• Play It Loud

• Seasonal Celebrations

Default Alarm Sound

At the very top of this screen you will see you’re Currently Set Alarm Sound. Your default sound will be set as “Fresh Start” from the Pixel Sounds category. If you want to change your alarm sound you will have a few preset options to do so, or you can download sounds and/or make your own. When you open Default Alarm Sound, you will see the following categories:

• Currently Set

  • This is the alarm sound that you currently have set for your device when you set an alarm on your phone.

• My Sounds

  • In My Sounds you will be able to access any alarm sounds you have downloaded or and sounds you have recorded.
  • To add a sound, tap on the Plus Icon in the bottom right corner.
  • Then you will see a list of your sounds that are stored on Google Drive.
  • You can also tap on the Hamburger Icon (the three horizontal lines) in the top left corner to open sounds from your Audio and Downloaded folders.
  • Choose a sound you want and that sound will show up in the My Sounds folder in Default Alarm Sound.
  • Click on the sound from the My Sounds folder and tap on Save in the top right hand corner of the screen to add the sound as your alarm sound.

• Pixel Sounds

• Natural Elements

• Material Adventures

• Classical Harmonies

• Minimal Melodies

• Reality Bytes

• Retro Riffs

• Play It Loud

• Seasonal Celebrations

Dial Pad Tones

When Dial Pad Tones is turned on, you will hear a beeping tone when you enter numbers on the dial pad in the Phone App when you are attempting to make a call.

Screen Locking Sound

When this is on you will hear a locking sound when you click the power button on the side of the phone to lock it.

Charging Sounds and Vibration

When this is on, your phone will make a sound and vibrate to let you know that your phone is successfully connected to the charger and is charging.

Touch Sounds

When this is on your phone will make subtle clicking sounds when your navigating through your phone, indicating that you have successfully tapped on a tab, item, or app.

Always Show Icon When in Vibrate Mode

When you have your phone in Vibrate Mode (this means that you have the Ring & Notification Volume turned all the way off) you will see the Vibration Mode Icon (it looks like a phone with vibration effects) at the top right corner of your Status Bar (the bar at the top of your phone with icons on it i.e. Wi-Fi, LTE, Battery etc.).