with the Android 10 update, some of the user using Google Pixel smartphones will have UI sounds were different. For example, some of users noticed that the end call and screen locking tones were missing while others users noticed that the charging sound was different. If you have noticed this weird behaviour on your Pixel after updating to Android 10 and are wondering what is the possible reason, we have the answer — as well as the solution.
When we turn out, the offender seems to be the relocation of the system sound files. On Android 9 Pie and before android, Google used to store UI sounds such as docking/undocking sounds and screen locking sounds /product/media/audio directory. That changed with Android 10, which has features that the sounds to a new location: /system/media/audio. The problem is Android 10 on Pixel and Pixel 2 that UI sounds are still in old directory. when the system tries to access sounds from the old location and can’t locate the files, Android falls back to older UI sounds embedded in framework.
According to XDA Member co4, you can easily fix this issue by the preference of the Global system settings. To set up ADB on your PC, connect your Pixel or Pixel 2 and run the following commands in command prompt or Windows PowerShell.
[pastacode lang=”bash” manual=”adb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20car_dock_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FDock.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20car_undock_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FUndock.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20desk_dock_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FDock.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20desk_undock_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FUndock.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20lock_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FLock.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20low_battery_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FLowBattery.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20trusted_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FTrusted.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20unlock_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FUnlock.ogg%0Aadb%20shell%20settings%20put%20global%20wireless_charging_started_sound%20%2Fsystem%2Fmedia%2Faudio%2Fui%2FChargingStarted.ogg%20″ message=”” highlight=”” provider=”manual”/]These are the commands will change the path for each UI sound from /product/media/audio to /system/media/audio, make that the system is now looking in the correct location where the requesting system sounds.
No need to reboot the device after running the above ADB commands. This issue shouldn’t affect the Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, or Pixel 4 because in the firmware for these three devices, the UI sounds are already located in /product/media/audio. It affects Pixel and Pixel 2 owners who had performed a clean install of Android 10 i.e. by flashing Android 10 system image. If you updated from Android Pie to Android 10 with the OTA.
Update: Fixed in March Update
The March 2020 update that was released before today it has fixed a weird issue that was cropped earlier in this year. This was missing the lock and unlock sound effects that was finally returned according to several users on Reddit. This is the strange bug and we are glad it has finally been addressed.