Pixel Recorder App Could Soon Get a ‘Clear Voice’ Feature for Background Noise Reduction

Google is developing a new feature for its native Pixel Recorder app to eliminate background noise and enable clearer speech playback when recording audio on its smartphones, according to a report. It was spotted during an APK teardown of the app for Android. The app is exclusive to Google's Pixel lineup of devices such as the latest Pixel 9 series and offers features such as transcription and speaker labelling, powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

Clear Voice Feature in Pixel Recorder

In a report, Android Authority, teaming up with Assemble Debug, highlighted that the Clear Voice feature was discovered following an APK teardown of the Recorder app version 4.2.20241001.701169069. As the name suggests, it will suppress the background noise and prioritise spoken content in the vicinity of the handset.

The report reveals it is internally referred to as “hdmic” and is turned off by default for the new recordings. Delving into the app's code revealed strings referencing the feature which states, “Reduce background noise while recording for clearer speech playback.”

However, there are a few caveats. For starters, it uses the phone's internal microphone and will not work with external mics. Further, it does not have support for stereo and only support mono audio.

The feature is reported to be inactive at the moment and even sideloading the latest version of the Recorder app for Pixel devices does not seem to activate it. It is said to require a server-side component for activation.

Recorder App Shortcut

In June, Google announced a new update for the Recorder app which introduced a shortcut for the home screen. It appears as a red circle on a white background, matching the larger floating action button (FAB). The new Record shortcut can now be placed on the home screen to quickly start a recording. Its arrival is said to provide a boost to the live transcription capabilities by bringing quick access to it.