GoKawiilUnsplash / Mark Paton
TL;DR Google is testing new options for users of Bluetooth hearing aids.
The options prevent sudden alerts for notifications or alarms from blasting in the users’ ears.
These toggles are now live in Android Canary but may not necessarily make it to Android 17.
Google released the Android Canary build 2603 for March 2026 yesterday. We’ve already covered several new design changes, such as redesigned menus, a background blur effect, and other improvements that make the Android interface appear more polished. However, a few smaller tweaks flew under the radar, and we’re now telling you about those as we spot them.
One such change is the redesigned accessibility menu for users with impaired hearing. With Android Canary, Google is adding two new options to the menu, allowing users to control whether specific sounds are played through Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or not.
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The new options added in Android Canary, in particular, allow users with hearing impairments to limit notification sounds to the phone’s speaker. Additionally, users can completely block ringtones and notifications from playing on the phone’s speakers as well as their hearing aids or in-ear implants.
Android 16 QPR3 hearing aids menu Android Canary 2603 Accessibility settings Android Canary 2603 hearing aids settings
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