If you follow our blog, then I don’t think I need to say that Google released the first builds of Android 12 last week (seriously, we posted a ton about it). Although we focused primarily on revealing unreleased features, today we are taking a step back and testing one of the officially announced features of the new operating system. One of the coolest sound features on Android 12 is the audio coupled haptic effect, a feature that effectively promises to vibrate your phone according to the audio session in progress. Google says it will allow developers to create more engaging game and audio experiences, and after seeing this in action, we have to agree.
Developer kdrag0n, who recently gave us our first look at the Android 12 wallpaper-based theme system, wanted to try the new audio-coupled tactile effect feature, so he created a quick app to see which Pixel phones support the feature . According to the HapticGenerator API documentation, “HG is an audio post processor that generates tactile data based on the audio channels. The generated haptic data is sent along with the audio data to the audio HAL, which will require the device to support coupled haptic audio playback. ”Unfortunately, it seems that none of the latest Pixel smartphones from Google – that is, the Pixel 4a 5G or Pixel 5 – supports HapticGenerator. Google’s 2018 Pixel 3 doesn’t seem to support it either (we recognize that we’ve only tested the XL model), but luckily Google’s 2019 Pixel 4 does.
Google’s Pixel 4 supports the Android 12 tactile audio effect feature Image credits: XDA Senior Member cstark27
After confirming that Pixel 4 is compatible, kdrag0n created another application using the HapticGenerator API. This app generates vibrations based on the music that is playing on the device and the result is better than we expected. Here are two videos, both recorded by cstark27, a senior member of XDA, that show the tactile effect of coupled audio in action:
Daft Punk: Once again
Daft Punk: Solar Sailer (remixed by Pretty Lights)
Google has played with the feel of touch coupled with audio in the past, but the new feature of Android 12 is much more versatile than anything we’ve seen previously from the company. With Pixel 3, Google prepared customized vibration patterns to match each standard touch, but it’s obviously not possible for them to create custom vibrations for every sound that comes out of the speakers.
That’s why I think Android 12’s new audio-coupled haptics may be one of the best features of the operating system, and it’s a shame that the latest Google Pixel phones don’t seem to support it. Tactile feedback, when done correctly, can really elevate the smartphone experience. Although I can’t see many people using it for music playback (how many people hold the phone in their hand while playing music?), I can see how it will make games much more engaging on mobile.