Google's Android 17 rollout quietly adds LHDC v5 support to Pixel phones. The feature never appeared in the official “what’s new” notes, but Reddit users flagged it in beta 3 and confirmed its presence in the stable build. By skipping the beta, most Pixel owners receive the codec automatically, expanding the phone’s Bluetooth audio capabilities. The move signals Google’s push to match audio standards.

To activate LHDC v5, users must open Developer Options: tap Build Number several times, then navigate to Settings → Developer → Bluetooth Audio Codec. If LHDC v5 appears, select it; otherwise a list of codecs will show. Many modern headphones already support the standard, including the Nothing Ear (2) and OnePlus Buds 4, so pairing yields immediate benefit. This setting appears only after enabling Developer mode.

LHDC v5 delivers an 80 ms low‑latency link and adaptive bitrates from 128 kbps up to 900 kbps, with the option to push the sampling rate to 96 kHz. Those figures rival wired hi‑res audio, making lossless streaming from services like Apple Music or Spotify audible without noticeable delay. The addition positions Pixel as one of the few Android phones offering true high‑resolution Bluetooth sound.