What you need to know
- Google's Pixel Buds web app now supports Windows and macOS.
- The app allows you to control various settings of Pixel Buds devices, including EQ, active noise cancellation, and conversation detection.
- Google initially released the Pixel Buds web app in October 2023, but it only supported Chromebooks until now.
The Pixel Buds web app now supports Windows and macOS, allowing you to control your earbuds through your PC. Despite Google releasing the Pixel Buds web app in October 2023, the company did not add Windows and macOS support until recently. Google's support document for the web app now lists compatibility with both Windows and macOS, in addition to the previously supported Chrome OS.
The Pixel Buds web app gives you finer control over your earbuds, such as turning active noise cancellation on or off, enabling transparency mode, or toggling conversation detection on or off. You can also use the web app to enable touch controls and fine-tune the EQ of your earbuds.
The general functionality of the Pixel Buds web app is not groundbreaking. Many headphones and earbuds can be controlled through similar applications. The news of the week is that almost an entire year after shipping the Pixel Buds web app, Google has added support for Windows and macOS. Despite the site being a Progressive Web App (PWA), it only worked with Chromebooks until recently. 9to5Google spotted the change in the support document and highlighted the update.
Unfortunately for those who use Linux, that operating system has still been left out in the cold. That decision is particularly strange given the fact that Chrome OS is essentially Linux. You can, however, use the Pixel Buds web app on Linux by changing your user agent settings. You can even make the web app work on Linux by changing your user agent to Windows. This workaround highlights that Linux support is possible, making Google’s omission even more frustrating
Pixel Buds Pro 2
The Pixel Buds web app is useful when using any pair of Pixel Buds, but the app's recent update creates an opportunity to discuss the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. Those new earbuds earned a solid 4/5 when reviewed by our colleagues at Android Central. The new buds integrate with Google Gemini, deliver impressive sound quality, and are "supremely comfortable," according to Android Central's Tshaka Armstrong.
Many people have an Android phone and a Windows PC, so it's nice to have a web app that helps get more out of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 (and any pair of Pixel Buds) while using a device running Windows. The full Pixel Buds Pro 2 experience with AI still requires a modern Pixel phone, meaning a Pixel 6 or later, but the newly updated web app is still a welcome addition for Pixel Buds users with a PC.
"Google has done it with its Pixel Buds Pro 2 TWS earbuds. They are light, comfortable, and feature-packed, and Google Gemini is the digital assistant many of us have been waiting for since the first time we watched an episode of Star Trek. Most importantly, though, the sound quality is top-tier for this space," concluded Armstrong in his review. The earbud space is rather crowded, but Google's latest buds manage to stand out in some key areas.
