A new Pixel Buds app update hands earbud settings over to Gemini, so you can change them by voice instead of tapping through the app. 9to5Google spotted the change after updating to version 1.0.981607934 of the Pixel Buds app. That build adds Pixel Buds to Gemini’s list of Connected Apps.
Google had promised a substantial Pixel Buds update in September alongside the Pixel 11 launch. This is that feature arriving.
What Gemini can change on your Pixel Buds
9to5Google reports that the app now covers settings like these, so the list may not be exhaustive.
- EQ preset
- ANC mode
- Conversation detection
- Touch controls
The commands are plain language. Saying Hey Google, turn up the bass or Hey Google, turn on noise cancellation is enough. There is no menu path to memorise.
What happens when you say it
The command pulls up the Gemini overlay rather than launching the full app. A “Connecting to Pixel Buds” message appears, and Gemini confirms the change out loud.
Nothing is being taken away here. On a phone that has not received the app update, the same voice commands still open the system Bluetooth settings page. The Gemini route is layered on top of that older behaviour.
It does fit a wider pattern. Voice control on Pixel hardware has been consolidating onto Gemini since Google began winding down the classic Assistant. Earbud settings are one more thing moving across.
What we still do not know
The report does not name which Pixel Buds models get the feature. It refers generically to the Pixel Buds app and to Pixel Buds as a Gemini Connected App. The Pro 2, 2a and original Pro have not been individually confirmed.
The rollout mechanism is also unclear. 9to5Google’s report does not say whether the feature arrives with the app update itself or sits behind a server-side flag. That distinction would explain any gap between updating and seeing it work. Checking for a Pixel Buds app update in the Play Store is the practical first step.
Source: 9to5Google
