Google Pixel 9a Gets Adaptive Sound Support

AI

📝 Key Points of This Article

• The Pixel 9a has unexpectedly gained support for “Adaptive Sound.”
• Following the January 2026 monthly software update, the “Adaptive Sound” setting was newly added under “Sound & vibration” in the Android settings.
• “Adaptive Sound” is an automatic audio enhancement feature that uses the microphone to detect ambient noise and subtly adjusts equalizer settings and speaker volume to improve clarity based on your environment.

The “Pixel 9a,” the budget-friendly version of the Google Pixel series, actually didn’t support the “Adaptive Sound” automatic audio enhancement feature at launch.

While “Adaptive Sound” is standard on most Google Pixel devices from the Pixel 7 onwards (including the Pixel 8a), for some reason, only the Pixel 9a remained unsupported. However, without any prior notice, the Pixel 9a has finally added support for “Adaptive Sound.”

After applying the January 2026 monthly software update, I confirmed that a new “Adaptive Sound” toggle has been added to the “Sound & vibration” section of the Android settings. Incidentally, the “Adaptive Sound” setting is turned ON by default.

To begin with, “Adaptive Sound” is an automatic audio improvement feature that uses the microphone to detect surrounding noise and subtly adjusts the equalizer settings and speaker volume to make audio easier to hear. By enabling “Adaptive Sound,” the feature works not only through the Google Pixel’s built-in speakers but also when connected to the “Pixel Buds” series of Bluetooth earbuds.

Mr. Yamada, thank you very much for providing this information.