Virtually all mobile phones with Android operating system have separate volume levels for notifications and ringtones. This makes sense, as there may be times when you want to prioritize incoming calls with a louder volume than app notifications. However, Google’s phones do not have this feature. It was available for a while, but eventually removed, linking the volume of ringtones and notifications.
Users of Google’s Pixel have long wanted to separate the volume buttons, but the company has not been listening to their comments. This may change in the second half of this year. Android 14 will provide separate sliders for ringtones and notification sounds.
Easily change the volume on Google Pixel
Many Pixel users running Android 14 DP2, the 14th developer build, have noticed separate notification and ringtone sliders on their phones. This was not the case when they first upgraded to the latest test version of the operating system. As pointed out by popular leaker Mishaal Rahman in a Twitter thread, Google has been working on separating notification and ringtone volume since Android 13 QPR2 Beta. In Android 14 DP2, the company seems to have remotely enabled the option to separate both sliders.
Although the ringtone and notification sliders are not linked, when the phone is set to vibrate, both become silent. It is unclear whether this change is intentional or a bug, but it is a step in the right direction for Google.
Pixel owners can enjoy this change on their phones by installing the Android 14 Developer Preview or Android 13 QPR3 Beta, but it is not fully recommended. This version is plagued with bugs as it is in the testing phase. Expect the American company to separate the volume, ringtone, and notification buttons in one of the releases of the operating system later this year.
The truth is, it’s hard to understand why Google didn’t make this decision sooner. Mainly, because on other devices in the Android ecosystem, you can change the volume of these two sections individually, which is preferred by many users who want to silence notifications and keep calls ringing.
When will Android 14 arrive?
At the moment, there is no official date for the start of the Android 14 rollout, but through Google’s schedule, we can anticipate the first deployment. The open beta might begin in the middle of the month. Therefore, it will only take about a month to understand the news of the operating system firsthand.
Regarding the final version of Android 14, it seems to be indicated that it will be available on all devices. It might be released around October or early November, along with the launch of the Google Pixel 8 series.
