What you need to know
- Android 17 quietly adds LHDC v5 support, giving Pixel users another high-quality Bluetooth audio option.
- Compatible earbuds from brands like Nothing and OnePlus can now stream higher-bitrate audio on Pixels.
- Users may need to manually enable LHDC v5 in Developer Options and turn on Hi-Res Audio in the companion Bluetooth earbuds app.
It’s been over a week since Google released the stable Android 17 update, and while the company highlighted most of the major features upfront, users are now starting to discover some smaller additions that quietly shipped with the release.
As spotted by the Reddit user QuantumCatalyzt (via Android Authority), Google appears to have silently added support for the Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec (LHDC) to Pixel phones with Android 17. This means Pixel users can now take advantage of LHDC for higher-quality wireless audio, alongside existing codecs like AAC.
A lot of wireless earbuds already support LHDC, but Pixel phones previously didn’t. That meant users often had to fall back to Sony’s LDAC or even lower-quality AAC and SBC codecs, even when using compatible audio hardware.
With Android 17, Pixel users can now use the newer LHDC v5 codec for higher-bitrate audio over Bluetooth. Some Bluetooth earbuds sold in the U.S. that support LHDC include the latest Nothing Ear earphones as well as several earbuds from OnePlus.
It also looks like you might need to manually enable LHDCv5 first. To do that, head to Settings > System > Developer Options > Bluetooth Audio Codec and select LHDCv5. Depending on your earbuds, you may also need to enable a Hi-Res Audio option inside the companion app.
Once everything is set up, you’ll also need a high-quality audio source to take advantage of it. For example, services like Apple Music support Hi-Res Lossless audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, allowing compatible earbuds to stream higher-quality audio through LHDC.
Savitech, the company behind LHDC, had previously mentioned that Android 17 would include native support for the codec. With Android 17 now rolling out, that support appears to be live.
For users with compatible premium earbuds, this finally unlocks another option for better-quality wireless audio on Pixel devices.
Android Central’s Take
It seems Google has quietly enabled LHDC support by default, and that’s a big win for Pixel users. Better audio quality, wider earbud compatibility, and Auracast support make Android 17 a surprisingly solid update for audio lovers.