Adaptive Sound is a feature that Google launched at the end of last year, and it's designed to improve the phone’s audio output by tweaking its equalizer based on your surroundings. It came to the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 in a Pixel feature drop, and many thought that it was launched as a means to improve the average-sounding speaker of the Pixel 5. That feature has now been spotted rolling out to the Google Pixel 6 series, suggesting that it's a feature that's here to stay.

Adaptive Sound processes audio locally and it never leaves your device, and it's used to adjust the audio output based on what's happening around you. As Google notes, it's harder to pick up on at louder volumes, too. The feature is disabled by default, and you can enable it by going to your phone's settings, sound, and going to the "Adaptive Sound" section. It has rolled out to my Google Pixel 6 Pro, though it makes a near indiscernible difference to the audio quality, in my opinion.

Google Pixel 6 Pro Review: Fantastic everyday phone with an undeniable Exynos inspiration

Pixel smartphones receive updates in the form of "feature drops", and they generally pop up every three months. Android 12 was considered a feature drop, meaning that we'll likely see the first new features launched for the Pixel 6 series (and some past Pixel devices too) in January 2022.

In the case of Adaptive Sound, however, it was re-introduced to the Pixel 6 series via a silent update that surfaced the option in the system settings, and it doesn't appear Google has drawn attention to it. It's a feature that you might get some use out of, though I haven't hugely noticed a difference on my Pixel 6 Pro.

Thanks Mishaal Rahman for the tip!

The Pixel 6 comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and flagship cameras.
Google Pixel 6

The Pixel 6 comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and flagship cameras.

The Pixel 6 Pro is the larger sibling that comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and an extra telephoto camera.
Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Pixel 6 Pro is the larger flagship that comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and an extra telephoto camera.