Like many of thebest Android phones, Google Pixel devices offer a bunch of accessibility features to make life easier. Apps like Digital Wellbeing on Pixels go a step further byproactively displaying warningsfor potentially harmful conditions like sleep apnea. Now, there’s sufficient evidence to believe Google is developing a new warning for loud sounds that can damage hearing, this time delivered through the At a Glance widget.
For many years now,Apple devices have had an alert featurewarning users of sounds which could cause permanent damage to their hearing after prolonged exposure.9to5Googlehas spotted code suggesting the At a Glance widget baked into Pixel Launcher could soon gain similar alerts. Such alerts would help dodge permanent hearing damage at concerts, industrial areas, and other loud places.
Unlike the cough and snore detection feature which uses the Digital Wellbeing app to function, the At a Glance widget’s loud sound warnings could be a part of the Android System Intelligence (ASI) component updates delivered through the Play Store. Version T.23 of the ASI component has the following lines of code hinting at the new “Loud sound alert” capability:
Loud sound alert
A closer look at the latest ASI update also reveals Google has reordered the settings toggles in the menu for At a Glance alerts. A few feature names in the menu have changed, and icons for items likeSensitive content on the lock screenandPackage deliveryhave changed. Noticeably, thePersonalize using app dataoption is now calledControl using data from apps.
At a Glance settings before the update(left); New icons and re-sequenced options after the update(right)
This is just one more thing the already helpful At a Glance widget could do, considering it can alreadyshow timers running on your Nest speakers, offer package andfood delivery alerts, and showAQI alertswhere applicable. For once, we aren’t mad Google is taking its time to borrow an iOS feature, as long as it gets things right. However, Google’s implementation could be even better if these alerts are pushed to the Pixel Watch as well.
