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Google Pixel Buds update promises less lag w/ games & videos, other improvements

Google’s Pixel Buds may not be widely loved, but they’re still a decent piece of hardware. This week, an update has been rolling out to the Pixel Buds which promises to lessen lag and make a handful of other improvements.

Noted on a support page, Google provides an official changelog for version 2.2185.230 which has been rolling out to the Pixel Buds as of late. Most importantly, the firmware update promises to reduce audio lag on the Pixel Buds. The changelog specifically mentions examples of where users can see this with YouTube videos and games.

Beyond that change, Google says that this update fixes a problem where the Pixel Buds wouldn’t report 100% battery when fully charged. Further, it reduces the amount of time it takes for Bluetooth to properly work after a reset. Google says that after a factory reset, Bluetooth is now discoverable within a couple of seconds.

Google also mentions that if the update prompts a “Tap to Connect” notification which fails once tapped, users should reset and re-pair the Pixel Buds with their device.

Pixel Buds version 2.2185.230

Updated June 11, 2019

This firmware update includes:

  • Reduced lag when playing games or YouTube videos
  • Pixel Buds now report 100% battery at full charge
  • After factory reset, Bluetooth is discoverable within 1-2 seconds

After the update, you may see a pop up appear on your device prompting you to Tap to connect. In some cases, connecting this way may fail. If this happens to you, simply re-pair your Pixel Buds to your device from the Bluetooth menu

To see if your Pixel Buds have this update, you can check on your phone. As Android Police points out, heading to the Google Assistant and tapping on your profile picture should reveal a settings page. From there, head to Assistant > Pixel Buds and you’ll see your version number. The update is rolling out in stages, so it may still be a few days until it arrives for everyone.

More on Google Pixel Buds:

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