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0300 180 0028Short guide:
- Connect your headphones to your device. Open Settings and select Accessibility.
- Scroll down to the Audio section and tap Sound Amplifier then Open Sound Amplifier.
- Tap the Play button in the middle of the screen to start amplifying and Pause to pause it.
- Tap Source, then the Amplify menu to switch between amplifying the Sound around you or the Sound playing on your phone.
- Tap the Microphone menu to switch between the built-in microphone and an external microphone.
- Tap Sound to tweak the amplified sound. Use the Boost and Fine tuning controls to get a clearer sound.
- Tap Noise to change the level of noise reduction. Tap the menu to switch between High, Medium and Low.
Before and after
This section explains how to use Sound Amplifier in Android 12. This is a step-by-step guide with pictures of the screens to help.
Open the Accessibility settings
1. Connect your headphones to your device, either by plugging them in or through a wireless Bluetooth connection. Open the Settings app and select Accessibility.
Launch Sound Amplifier
2. Scroll down to the Audio section and tap Sound Amplifier. On the next screen, tap Open Sound Amplifier.
Start Sound Amplifier
3. Tap the Play button in the middle of the screen. The first time you do so you’ll see a pop-up notification requesting permission to record audio and use some phone features. Tap While using the app when prompted.
Using Sound Amplifier
4. Tapping the Play button starts the sound amplifier. You’ll hear the sound around you louder through your headphones, while the display will change to reflect the volume of any sounds around you. To pause sound being amplified, tap the Pause button.
Switching back to Sound Amplifier
5. You can leave Sound Amplifier running in the background while you use your device for other tasks. To return to Sound Amplifier, swipe down from the top of the screen and select the Sound Amplifier notification. You can also pause and resume using it from this notification, by tapping on the Pause button in the notification.
Selecting what to amplify
6. Sound Amplifier has a few useful settings you can use to get the most from the feature. Tap Source, then tap the Amplify menu to switch between amplifying the Sound around you or the Sound playing on your phone.
Switching microphones
7. Tap the Microphone menu to switch between using your smartphone or tablet’s built-in microphone, and an external microphone, including any microphones you might have built into a pair of headphones.
Adjusting the sound
8. Tap Sound to tweak the amplified sound. The Boost slider controls how much the sound is amplified, while the Fine tuning slider controls the frequencies at which the sound is boosted most, which can be useful if you’re struggling to get a clear sound.
Adjusting the Noise Reduction
9. Finally, tap Noise to change the level of noise reduction. Tap the menu to switch between High, Medium or Low.
Enabling the shortcut
10. To make it easier to launch the Sound Amplifier, go back to the Accessibility settings, tap Sound Amplifier, then tap the toggle button for Sound Amplifier shortcut to turn it on. A small green shortcut button will appear on the screen, and tapping this will launch Sound Amplifier.
Note: We have written these instructions for devices running the standard version of the Android operating system. You may find some minor presentation differences if the manufacturer has customised the theme.
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