Sound Amplifier
June 10, 2024
More About Sound Amplifier
Features
• Reduce unwanted noise to recognize speech better.
• Focus on a speaker’s voice in noisy environments with conversation mode. (Available for Pixel 3 and above.)
• Listen to conversations, TV, or lectures. For audio sources that are farther away, Bluetooth headphones are recommended. (Bluetooth headphones might have delayed sound transmission.)
• Personalize your listening experience for surrounding conversation or media playing on your device. You can reduce noise or boost low frequency, high frequency, or quiet sounds. Set your preferences for both ears or separately for each ear.
• Turn Sound Amplifier on and off using the accessibility button, a gesture, or Quick Settings. Learn more about the accessibility button, gesture and Quick Settings: https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/7650693
• Open Sound Amplifier more easily by adding it to your app list. In Sound Amplifier settings, turn on “Show icon in the app list”.
Requirements
• Available for Android 8.1 and later.
• Pair your Android device with headphones.
• Conversation mode is currently available on Pixel 3 and above.
Send us your feedback on Sound Amplifier by emailing: [email protected]. For help using Sound Amplifier, connect with us at https://g.co/disabilitysupport.
Permissions Notice
• Microphone: Access to the microphone will allow Sound Amplifier to process the audio for amplification and filtering. No data is collected or stored.
• Accessibility Service: Since this app is an accessibility service, it can observe your actions, retrieve window content, and observe text that you type.
Latest Version
June 10, 2024
Google LLC
Communication
Android
315,423,667
Free
com.google.android.accessibility.soundamplifier
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User Reviews
Zak Appel
2 years ago
For everyone complaining about the update, uninstall the updates. Secondly, it says right in the description, it's for boosting sounds that are hard to hear while using headphones in a noisy area. This app without headphones would be like holding a microphone to a speaker, feedback. If you want a volume booster download that, don't give this a bad review cause you can't read the description. 3 stars for overall quality. App is in accessibility menu on most phones, Samsung version worked better.
A Google user
4 years ago
Like a temporary hearing aid for conversation. A reason to have a wired headphone. Pop on wired headphones, point the mic in the direction of what you're trying to listen to. Love that you can find tune per ear, but I think that this works best for listening to someone speaking to you rather than listen to the TV. It is a little weird to hear yourself a bit when you speak, but I think with continued updates, this has tons of potential.
courtel!
2 years ago
just got it a few minutes ago, it's pretty good, though there is a significant delay in the sound. it'll work well for conversations (especially when you have to use ear protection) but be prepared for the sound to be 1-2 seconds delayed. if you're a part of an ensemble like i am and trying to isolate a specific part (ex., drumline is playing really loudly and you can't hear what you're even playing,) it won't work very well, esp if you do rhythm based instruments.
A Google user
5 years ago
To have an app which reads credit card numbers and passwords and is a "hidden" app in the background????? Using a Note 9 and can't find it and gave permissions on accessibility settings. I can't monitor it and doesn't keep any data on my phone. All data goes to Google servers, and it doesn't explain why we can't find it. I deleted in a New York minute.
A Google user
4 years ago
This app did not work with my phone and average earbuds. I couldn't even hear the person talk until the volume was up halfway on the slider. The vocal quality from my phone was terrible, too - the voice sounded very distant. In addition, there's a delay on delivery of the voice which is very disorienting when I'm looking at the person I could not judge the filtering ability because the basic sound I was trying to hear was so bad. There was also a delay between input and output - disorienting.
David Bishop
2 years ago
Works great! Do be mindful of the fact though, that it is a sound amplifier. I say this, because I see some comments complaining about background noise. Background noise is a sound though, and this is a sound amplifier, so guess what; background noise is also going to be amplified. If you don't like this, then either buy some headphones that will reduce background noise, or else don't download the app
Keith Thornton
4 years ago
Great idea! I've been wondering for years why I can't use my headphones as hearing aids. Unfortunately, the execution isn't as great - I played with all the settings and I can't get it to separate white noise from the tv audio. I also can't select which mic to use, aside from my phone having 3+ built in, I would have liked to use my earbuds as the audio source.
Scott Pawling
4 years ago
Really strange (bad) side effect. So I was curious about this app with my new Pixel Buds2 and tried it out. It worked well i thought. But I don't need it so I turned it off and didn't think any more about it. Fast forward a few days and I figured out I could not play locally saved mp3s unless I had CC turned on. Streamed music was fine. Downloaded music was fine. But not ripped music unless CC was on. It took 2 months to figure it out. Uninstalled Sound Amplifier and they work again.....
Roger Gaskins
3 years ago
**Warning ** once installed this app you cannot uninstall it. I'm also stuck with bothersome, on screen icon, next to the home button that my finger is constantly touching by accident which in turn opens the app. Have not been able to find a way to remove this either . Btw, the app has not amplified my audio whatsoever. Bottom line, it has turned my phone into a nightmare.
A Google user
5 years ago
The amplifier de-activates itself when music, or presumably anything else (like a podcast), is playing on the device. 😕⁉️ (Huh?!). When audio is being played back to me, drowning out important and potentially critical sounds/speech around me—via earbuds that are lodged in the way of my path of hearing (my ears)—is precisely when I most need assistance in routing the important sounds from my environment to my ears. (2 rather than 1 star since I haven't needed / been able to evaluate other uses)
A Google user
5 years ago
Useless since I can't use the Bluetooth headphones I have for my Pixel 3. Also, it would greatly help to be able to adjust the balance since I have more hearing loss in one ear. My hearing aid uses a Bluetooth microphone and there is no latency issue - I don't like carrying around extra stuff so I don't use it much. Thank you for the response!
A Google user
5 years ago
If the app worked properly it would be great. You have to plug in your headphones for it to work. The only problems are it picks up amplified sounds through the headphone mic and not the phone mic. I also had a hard time adjusting the amplifier and only understood what two of the three settings did. I have hearing loss and hoped this app could benefit my life. This is a great idea and has great possibilities but it seems like it has a long way to go.
A Google user
5 years ago
Not really sure how to review this at the moment. i will say that, should you install this, it will not appear as an app, but as an accesability control under your phone settings. it has a very interesting message when you go to turn it on, it says "to use this feature, plug in wired headphones..." Um, most phones, including Google's Pixel line, does not have wired headphone jacks. i have a dongle in my car, and some Bluetooth headphones that i haven't tried yet, but that is a very odd message.
Luci Huxley
2 years ago
If you need to filter out background noise this is the best free app. I have Sensory Processing issues and this is a great tool for me to understand speech better in noisy environments. Best paired with noise canceling head phones. Makes a perfect hearing aid for those who need basic assistance. Low med and high noise cancellation and adjustable boost. Works as advertised. Works in the background too so you can watch videos and still hear people.
A Google user
5 years ago
Samsung Note 9: This is the best audio aid app that I have found thus far. I am definitely keeping it. BUT it should have loaded like a normal app and appeared on my app pages. It did not, instead requiring me to hunt around the web for instructions. Also, the accessibility icon (when you finally get the app to work) gets in the way of other items on my home screen. Also, the user interface is not as described in Google Play. All in all - a very nice app that just needs a bit more polish. Thanks Google Labs
A Google user
5 years ago
Love the idea, but all of the optional settings are greyed out and Google offers no answers. It would also be nice to be able to use it over a bluetooth speaker in another room, as sort of a baby monitor, instead of only being able to use it with wired headphones. Furthermore, I would love it if it could operate while media is playing, so that I can be more aware of my surroundings on walks while listening to Google podcasts.
A Google user
5 years ago
It would be extremely nice, if the app wouldn't just stop working because another app suddenly started playing audio. I suppose Android's audio focus is more of a curse than it is a blessing. Also, I don't know why, but the app switches the device mic into some kind of phone call mode as it sounds like I'm in a phone call whenever I turn off the amp and turn it back on. The only way to resolve this I found was to restart the device entirely.
A Google user
5 years ago
I was really looking forwar to using this, but after installing it, discovered that ot only works with wired headphones. i may have missed that in the fine print, but its 2019, and most smart phones these days are being made without headphone jacks. this would probably be a great app and great technology , if it would keep up with the times, and be compatible with Bluetooth headphones. nobody wants to be tethered to their phones anymore. Thank you for the response google. Review updated
J L
8 months ago
It came with my Pixel 8 and works okay. I tried the recent update but subsequently rolled it back, however. It kept turning off unexpectedly after a couple minutes while using another app or just having the screen locked. It needs an option to configure for either the device mic or headphone mic, though, since I have to have my phone out to use it. Maybe that's just a Bluetooth limitation? Not a bad app as Google apps go, but not great either. It definitely needs more work.
J J
10 months ago
Doesn't "dowhat it says on the tin": refuses to amplify phone media sound. Pressing "Phone media" crashes the app EVERY TIME (yet the mic media works). I was hopeful that the recent update would've cured this, but no. I have a new pair of fancy headphones, but despite all the bells and whistles, the volume is just too low, even at 100%. Many roads point to this app as a solution, but wow - abject failure. I'm on a Pixel 6 Pro running the latest version of Android.
