How do you record audio on Google pixel 2?
The Google Pixel 2 is an Android smartphone developed by Google that was first released in October 2017. The Pixel 2 featured top-of-the-line hardware for its time, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, and either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage.
One of the Pixel 2’s standout software features is its built-in audio recording capabilities. The phone comes pre-loaded with the Recorder app, which allows users to easily record, edit, transcribe, and manage audio recordings. Key features of the Recorder app include the ability to record high-quality audio, automatically transcribe speech to text, search through recordings, and even export audio files.
This guide will provide an overview of how to use the built-in Recorder app on the Google Pixel 2 to record audio. We’ll cover topics like accessing the app, recording audio, playing back recordings, editing and managing files, adjusting settings, and troubleshooting issues.
Accessing the Recorder App
The Pixel 2 comes pre-installed with Google’s Recorder app for recording audio. To access the Recorder app:
- Swipe up from the home screen to open the app drawer.
- Scroll and locate the Recorder app. The icon looks like a microphone.
- Tap on the Recorder app icon to open it.
You can also search for the Recorder app in the app drawer search bar. Or add the Recorder app shortcut to your home screen for quicker access.
If you cannot find the Recorder app, make sure your Pixel 2 is running the latest version of Android and that you didn’t accidentally remove or disable the app. According to Google Support, the Recorder app comes pre-installed on Pixel phones and cannot be uninstalled, only disabled [1].
Recording Audio
To start recording audio on your Pixel 2 phone using the built-in Recorder app, simply open the app and tap the Record button. The app will immediately start recording audio through your phone’s microphone. You’ll see a waveform representing the audio levels and a timer showing how long the recording has been going.
To pause a recording, tap the Pause button. Tap the Record button again to resume recording. To stop a recording, tap the Stop button. This will end the recording and save it to your phone (per Google’s Recorder app support page).
The Recorder app records audio in high quality by default. You can adjust the recording quality in the app’s Settings. Options include:
- Lossless: uncompressed recording for the highest quality.
- High: 192kbps high quality recording.
- Standard: 128kbps standard quality.
- Low: 64kbps smaller file size but lower quality.
Lower quality settings use less storage space while higher quality provides better audio fidelity. Choose based on your needs (per The Verge).
Playing Back Recordings
The Recorder app makes it easy to access and play back your recordings. After making a recording, you can tap on it from the main screen of the app to play it back. The app includes playback controls like play, pause, skip forward/back, and scrubbing to navigate to any part of the recording.
You can also tap the share icon on a recording to export it or share it with other apps. The Recorder app supports sharing recordings via messaging apps, email, cloud storage services like Google Drive, and more. Recordings can be exported and saved as .wav or .m4a audio files.
According to redditor discussions on r/GooglePixel, the Recorder app’s playback and sharing functionality works well for exporting recordings to use across different apps and devices (source).
Editing Recordings
The Pixel Recorder app allows you to trim and edit your recordings after you’ve finished capturing audio. This can be useful for removing unwanted sections or highlighting important parts of a recording.
To trim a recording, open it in the Recorder app and tap the edit icon (scissors symbol) at the bottom. This will allow you to drag the handles on either end of the waveform to select only the part you want. You can preview your edits before saving them.
Another way to edit recordings is by adding labels. Tap the plus icon in the editing screen to add a label. Give the label a name and it will bookmark that section of the recording. Labels are an easy way to flag important moments to refer back to later.
The latest Pixel Recorder app also lets you edit recordings via the web at recorder.google.com. Here you can trim, label, and manage recordings online after syncing them from your phone.
Managing Recordings
The Google Recorder app automatically saves all of your recordings on your Pixel phone, so you don’t have to worry about saving them manually. The recordings are saved in a Recorder folder in your phone’s internal storage. To locate the Recordings folder, open the Files app on your Pixel phone and navigate to Internal shared storage > Recordings.
Within the Recordings folder, your saved recordings are organized by date. You’ll see subfolders for each date that you’ve made recordings. Tap on a date subfolder to access the recordings made on that particular date.
To organize your recordings into custom folders, you can create new folders within the Recordings folder. Tap the 3-dot menu in the upper right corner, choose New folder, and name it anything you like. You can then use the 3-dot menu on your recordings to move them into your custom folders for better organization.
The Recorder app also has a built-in search function to quickly find recordings. Just tap on the search icon and type keywords to search through all of your recordings by name, date, or content. This makes it easy to locate a specific recording when you have a large library saved.
If you need to free up space, the easiest way is to delete recordings you no longer need right within the Recorder app. Use the checkboxes to select multiple recordings, then tap the trash can icon to delete them.
For more advanced management, you can connect your phone to a computer and access the Recordings folder to move, copy, organize, and backup your recordings that way if preferred. Just remember the recordings are saved exclusively on your device, not synced to the cloud, so be sure to backup any important recordings.
Recording Settings
The Google Recorder app on Pixel phones allows you to customize various settings to control how audio recordings are captured and saved. This lets you optimize the recording quality and file storage options for your particular needs.
To access the Recorder settings, open the Recorder app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Select “Recorder settings” to open the settings menu.
One of the most useful settings is audio source. By default, the recorder uses the phone’s primary microphone. However, you can change this to use the rear camera microphone for situations where you want to record at a distance from your phone. There’s also an option to record using a Bluetooth headset if you have one connected.
You can select the audio quality under the “Recording quality” setting. The options are low, medium, and high. Higher quality results in larger file sizes, so you’ll need to balance audio fidelity with storage space. Many find that medium quality provides a good blend.
The app’s automatic gain control helps adjust recording levels on the fly. You can toggle this on or off in the settings. It’s useful for situations where loudness varies, but can sometimes over-amplify quiet sections.
Other available settings include toggling noise suppression, skipping silences during playback, and displaying sound visualizations during recording. There’s also an option to have the app prompt you to review recordings before saving them.
Take some time to explore these settings to optimize the Recorder app for the kind of audio you typically capture. The right settings can significantly improve your recordings. For details, refer to Google’s Recorder help documentation (https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9516618?hl=en).
Using Third-Party Apps
In addition to the built-in Recorder app, there are many great third-party recording apps available for the Pixel 2 that provide expanded features and functionality:
Top recommended third-party recording apps:
Audio Recorder – This simple app provides high quality recordings in various formats like MP3 and WAV. It has a clean interface and useful tools like trimming and sharing recordings.
Easy Voice Recorder – It offers advanced features like transcription, editing recordings, uploading to cloud storage, and more. The app is highly customizable with widgets and shortcuts.
Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder – Ideal for long recordings like lectures or meetings, this app can record in excellent quality MP3 up to 192 kbps. It has bookmarks and skip silence options.
Voice Recorder – This app focuses on simplicity with a streamlined interface. It can record in AAC, MP3, or OGG format and has auto-gain control for optimal volume.
Trying out a few different third-party recording apps can help find the right fit for your specific audio recording needs on the Pixel 2.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter issues while recording audio on your Google Pixel 2, here are some common problems and solutions:
Can’t find the Recorder app – The Recorder app comes pre-installed on Pixel devices. If you can’t find it, try searching your apps or swiping up for the app drawer. You can also try reinstalling the app from the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.recorder
App crashes or won’t open – Try force closing the Recorder app, clearing app cache/data, or rebooting your phone. Reinstalling the app from the Play Store may also fix crashing issues.
Recordings are empty or contain no audio – Make sure microphone permissions are enabled for the Recorder app in your phone’s Settings. Also check for any physical obstruction covering the microphones while recording.
Poor audio quality – Ensure mics are clean and not covered. Move closer to the audio source. Recording in noisy environments can impact quality. Enable high quality recording in Settings if available.
Unable to find or access recordings – Recorded files are saved locally on your phone storage. Navigate to the Playback screen in the Recorder app to find them. You can also access recordings through your phone’s Files app.
Conclusion
That covers the basics of using the built-in Recorder app to capture audio on your Google Pixel 2. We went through how to access the Recorder, start and stop recordings, play back and edit recordings, and manage your saved recordings. We also looked at how to adjust the recording settings like bitrate and sample rate for higher quality audio.
To recap, the key things to remember are:
- The Recorder app is pre-installed on Pixel 2 phones and can be found in the app drawer.
- Tap the microphone icon to start and stop recordings.
- Recordings are automatically saved and can be accessed in the Recorder app.
- You can play, trim, share and export recordings.
- Higher bitrate and sample rate equals better audio quality.
If you want to learn more about recording audio on your Pixel 2, I recommend checking out Google’s official Pixel 2 user guides. You can also visit forums like Reddit to see how other users are utilizing the built-in Recorder app.