Official Pixel Buds PWA arrives on Chromebooks

Pixel Buds owners now have a new way to manage their wireless earbuds. Google has silently launched a new Pixel Buds PWA (Progressive Web App) that allows users to control various aspects of their earbuds. The PWA, discovered by Chrome Unboxed, is available on the Play Store for Chromebooks.

The web app lets you control various Pixel Buds features, as per the publication, noting that it's yet to become a full-fledged replacement for its Android sibling. You can manage features such as Conversation Detection, ANC, touch controls, equalizer, multipoint audio, and check the battery levels.

On the flip side, the Pixel Buds PWA is yet to include features like ear tip seal check, audio switch control, and Spatial Audio. As per the publication, it's possible to pair and set up a pair of earbuds using the Pixel Buds PWA alone, without the need for an Android device.

Google has confirmed in a support document that the Pixel Buds Web Companion app for Pixel Buds Pro is only available for Chromebooks (Chrome OS v117.0.5931.0 or newer). The web app redirects users to mypixelbuds.google.com which displays the following message when accessed using unsupported platforms, including Windows, macOS, or iPhone:

At this time, Pixel Buds is only fully supported on the Chrome operating system. Learn more about operating systems and devices we plan to support in the future.

XDA pointed out that the app may not install directly from the Google Play Store due to an unknown bug. In that case, you can visit its URL manually and click on the three-dots menu in the top-right corner to install the app.

There is no word on when (or if) the Pixel Buds PWA will arrive on other platforms. However, this adds to the search giant's efforts to make Chromebooks better with additions such as automatic software updates for 10 years and the new Chromebook Plus laptops.

Regarding Pixel Buds Pro, Google recently updated its wireless earbuds with two new colors. This happened alongside the release of Pixel 8 and its pricier sibling Pixel 8 Pro which comes with some exclusive camera features.

Source: Chrome Unboxed