Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. Guides

How to update Google Pixel Buds Pro firmware

Phil Nickinson
By

One of the coolest things about the Pixel Buds Pro (and most newish earbuds in general) is that they actually have the ability to get better over time thanks to firmware updates. (Think of "firmware" as the software that runs on hardware. Get it?) That allows manufacturers not just to fix bugs that inevitably creep in, but to also continue to fine-tune things throughout a product's lifetime.

And that's true for the Google Pixel Buds Pro, which already have found a home on our list of the best wireless earbuds you can buy.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Pixel Buds Pro

  • An Android device of some type

  • Pixel Buds app

And updating the firmware on your Pixel Buds Pro is a pretty simple endeavor — aside from one major caveat.

First, that caveat: To date, if you want to be able to update the firmware on your Pixel Buds Pro, you'll need to have access to an Android device, and along with it, the Pixel Buds app. Currently, there's no such app available for iOS, even though the Pixel Buds Pro work great with Apple devices. But as we noted in our Pixel Buds Pro review, you'll need an Android device to be able to access some of the settings — and that includes the ability to update firmware.

Don't have an Android phone or tablet? You won't be updating anything.

But there's a pretty good chance if you're reading this that you already have an Android device of some type. So let's continue.

Google Pixel Buds Pro firmware update.
Phil Nickinson/Digital Trends

Get the Pixel Buds app

If for some reason you have yet to download the Pixel Buds app, you're going to need it not just to update the firmware, but also to play around with other Pixel Buds settings. So let's take care of that.

Step 1: Go to the Pixel Buds app on the Google Play Store.

Step 2: Install it.

Related
Screenshots of the Pixel Buds app settings.
Screenshots

Check for a firmware update

Now that you've got the Pixel Buds app, it's time to use it. Note that you can get to all this either directly from the Pixel Buds app itself or through the Bluetooth settings for the Pixel Buds in your main settings menu.

Step 1: Remove your Pixel Buds Pro from their case, but keep them nearby.

Step 2: Open the Pixel Buds app on your phone.

Step 3: Scroll down and tap More settings.

Step 4: Tap on Firmware update.

Step 5: If there's a firmware update available, it'll say so. Tap it to install.

Step 6: Sit back and let your phone do its thing — just follow the on-screen instructions.

And that's that. All in all, it's a quick and easy process, whether you're updating your Pixel Buds Pro or the case. (Yes, the case can take a firmware update, too.) Just follow the on-screen instructions and keep your buds nearby, and everything should be just fine.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
Google says the Pixel Buds Pro/Pixel 8 phone combo is better for calls — it’s not that simple
Pixel Buds Pro and the case.

Google has promised some cool updates for its Pixel Buds Pro noise-canceling wireless earbuds, including conversation detection, lower latency for gaming, and a way to keep an eye on safe listening levels. It also said that if you pair the Pixel Buds Pro to Google's new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, you'll get better call quality thanks to Bluetooth Super Wideband. In theory, Google's right.

In practice, it might be a different story.

Read more
Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds are surprisingly affordable
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE in graphite.

Samsung's new wireless earbuds -- the Galaxy Buds FE -- are just $100, a new low price for a set of Galaxy Buds. Samsung introduced the new earbuds alongside its other new FE devices, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE and Galaxy Tab S9 FE. Available in white and graphite colors, you'll be able to buy them from Samsung.com and major retailers starting October 10.

Until today, Samsung's Galaxy wireless earbuds lineup consisted of the $150 Galaxy Buds Live, the $150 Galaxy Buds 2, and the flagship $230 Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. With the Galaxy Buds FE, you can now get a set of Samsung buds with desirable features like active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes for less.

Read more
Apple has upgraded the AirPods Pro with lossless audio, sort of
Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C.

Amid the slew of new Apple products launched today, only the tiniest mention was made of the fact that Apple has also given the AirPods Pro Gen 2 wireless earbuds a not-so-minor refresh. Along with the expected addition of USB-C, making the AirPods Pro the first Apple headphones to ditch the Lightning connector, Apple has also given the iconic white noise-canceling earbuds the ability to do lossless audio wirelessly -- something that has never been seen on the AirPods family before, and is even a rarity among non-Apple wireless audio devices.

There is, however, a catch. The "groundbreaking wireless audio protocol" that allows for lossless audio at 20-bit/48 kHz (a better-than-CD-quality resolution) is powered by the AirPods Pro's H2 chip, but for now, it only works when paired with the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset. At the moment, Qualcomm's aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec (when used with compatible wireless headphones and smartphones) is the only technology that supports lossless audio wirelessly, and even that technology is limited to 16-bit/48kHz.

Read more