Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Sounds is updating its UI and adding some new sound recordings.
- Collections are being upgraded from their color gradient icons to abstract vector art.
- New alarms, ringtones, and notification sounds highlight the wildlife of Japan.
How much effort to you put in to customizing your Android experience — really making your phone yours? One of the great things about this platform is that users get so much latitude in terms of their approach to customization, with a full custom ROM or maybe just an alternate launcher at one extreme, and making your own wallpaper over on the other. No matter w…
Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google Sounds is updating its UI and adding some new sound recordings.
- Collections are being upgraded from their color gradient icons to abstract vector art.
- New alarms, ringtones, and notification sounds highlight the wildlife of Japan.
How much effort to you put in to customizing your Android experience — really making your phone yours? One of the great things about this platform is that users get so much latitude in terms of their approach to customization, with a full custom ROM or maybe just an alternate launcher at one extreme, and making your own wallpaper over on the other. No matter where along that spectrum you fall, Android has options for you, and today we’re learning about some new ones.
Back in the days when the Pixel 3 was Google’s hot new smartphone on the block, we saw the company introduce its Sounds app. This Pixel exclusive is accessible through your settings menu, offering some custom ringtones and alarms. Google just got finished giving Sounds an overhaul with Material 3 Expressive, but it turns out the new look wasn’t ready to stop there (thanks: @NYJiggs82).
So far, Sounds has looked like that screen on the left, with those color gradients supposed to represent some of the different collections. If you didn’t find those distinct or memorable enough, with its version 3.3 release we’re seeing Sounds start to incorporate some vector art designs that make those options really stand apart. And as you can see, they’ll follow your system color theme.
That’s well and good, but Sounds is about, well, sounds — and we also happen to be getting some additional selections there with this new release. Here are the new entries we’ve spotted (all .OGG format):
Alarms
- Brown-Eared Bulbuls in Wild Hokkaido
- Cicadas Scree in Wild Hokkaido
- Cuckoo Hoots in Wild Hokkaido
- Dawn Chorus in Wild Hokkaido
- Frog Chorus in Wild Hokkaido
- Wren Trills in Wild Hokkaido
Notification Sounds
- Black-Faced Bunting in Wild Hokkaido
- Frog Croak in Wild Hokkaido
- Japanese Bush Warbler in Wild Hokkaido
- White-Backed Woodpecker in Wild Hokkaido
- Woodpecker Drum in Wild Hokkaido
- Yezo Deer in Wild Hokkaido
Ringtones
- Cicadas Scree in Wild Hokkaido
- Cuckoos Whistle in Wild Hokkaido
- Frog Chorus in Wild Hokkaido
- Japanese Bush Warbler in Wild Hokkaido
- Japanese Thrush in Wild Hokkaido
- Sakhalin Leaf Warbler in Wild Hokkaido
If you’re a fan of the sounds of nature from Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, Google has got your number. Just don’t go blaming us if all of a sudden you’re missing your notifications, but you’re convinced there’s a deer loose in your living room.
Google’s version 3.3 update of Sounds is on its way out to Pixel devices now. Check to see if it’s already hit yours, and then start experimenting with some of these new wildlife sounds.
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