ChromeOS to offer ‘greater audio configuration’ with new Audio Settings page

A new Chromium Repository commit may indicate that Google is either streamlining its audio settings in the ChromeOS Settings app or that it has new features planned for the near future. Discovered by Chrome Story, the commit states “Create feature flag for Audio Settings Page”. This means that a developer flag at chrome://flags could eventually become available that enables a dedicated page for audio devices so that users could potentially fine-tune or tweak and change them at will.

Audio Settings Page: Enables the dedicated Audio Settings Page in system settings, which allows for greater audio configuration.

Chromium Repository

Currently, no audio settings page exists in said Settings app, and all changes to your speakers and microphone are housed in the Quick Settings section of your shelf. Clicking the time clock at the bottom right of your screen and then tapping or clicking the right-facing arrow next to the volume slider will pull up speaker and microphone choices so you can swap between them.

If Google wants to aggregate all of these things in one place that’s easy and convenient via the Settings app, it makes sense that this is the route they would go. Although the Personalization Hub now houses wallpaper, screensaver, account image settings, and more, these are still available in the Settings app so that there’s absolutely no confusion as to where to locate them.

The company is big on offering multiple ways to access things so that everything has a higher level of accessibility to it. This can sometimes make things more daunting to pick through, but for the most part, it allows Google to reach wider audiences and provide something that’s more user-friendly.

Are there any other aspects of ChromeOS that you wish would be housed exclusively in the Settings app? I know that notification settings also used to be stored only in the Quick Settings panel under the Do Not Disturb drop down, but those can now be found in the Settings app too, so all of this is coming together and pointing to a more clean and streamlined interface and experience across the operating system.

If we see some new features like an equalizer or perhaps a list of the smart home speakers or cast devices on your home network on this page, that would be a bonus. Because Google’s OS is so tightly integrated with your Google Account, such opportunities are ever-present, especially where other companies simply can’t pull things like that off. Either way, based on the indicated ‘Greater audio configuration’ phrasing, it’s clear that there are likely to be additional settings that currently don’t exist and that will be found in this consolidated location upon launch.