Google Pixel Buds "Touch and Hold" discontinuation
Contents5
❗Article Status Notice: Inappropriate Tone/Word Usage
This article needs additional work to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues. Specifically it uses wording throughout that is non-compliant with the Editorial guidelines of this wiki.
Learn more ▼
How You Can Help: If this is a non-Theme article (See: Article types):
- Persuasive language should not be used in the Wiki's voice. Avoid loaded words, or the causing of unnecessary offense, wherever possible.
- No direct attacks on named individuals or companies. Malice may be attributed to bad and proven offenders, but only through the use of quotation and citation - never in the Wiki's voice.
If this is a Theme article:
- Where argumentation is used make sure it is clear and direct but not inflammatory. Avoid strong language, or causing unnecessary offense.
- No direct attacks on named individuals or companies. Malice may be attributed to bad and proven offenders, in a formal and calm manner.
This notice will be removed once sufficient documentation has been added to establish the systemic nature of these issues. Once you believe the article is ready to have its notice removed, visit either the Moderator's noticeboard, or the Discord (join here) and post to the #appeals channel.
⚠️ Article status notice: This article has been marked as incomplete
This article needs additional work for its sourcing and verifiability to meet the wiki's Content Guidelines and be in line with our Mission Statement for comprehensive coverage of consumer protection issues. In particular:
- Citations not properly formatted
- More info with more in-text citations
This notice will be removed once the issue/s highlighted above have been addressed and sufficient documentation has been added to establish the systemic nature of these issues. Once you believe the article is ready to have its notice removed, please visit the Moderator's noticeboard, or the discord and post to the #appeals channel.
Learn more ▼
This article has been flagged due to verification concerns. While the topic might have merit, the claims presented lack citations that live up to our standards, or rely on sources that are questionable or unverifiable by our standards. Articles must meet the Moderator Guidelines and Mission statement; factual accuracy and systemic relevance are required for inclusion here!
Articles in this wiki are required to:
- Provide verifiable & credible evidence to substantiate claims.
- Avoid relying on anecdotal, unsourced, or suspicious citations that lack legitimacy.
- Make sure that all claims are backed by reliable documentation or reporting from reputable sources.
Examples of issues that trigger this notice:
- A topic that heavily relies on forum posts, personal blogs, or other unverifiable sources.
- Unsupported claims with no evidence or citations to back them up.
- Citations to disreputable sources, like non-expert blogs or sites known for spreading misinformation.
To address verification concerns:
- Replace or supplement weak citations with credible, verifiable sources.
- Make sure that claims are backed by reputable reporting or independent documentation.
- Provide additional evidence to demonstrate systemic relevance and factual accuracy. For example:
- Avoid: Claims based entirely on personal anecdotes or hearsay without supporting documentation.
- Include: Corporate policies, internal communications, receipts, repair logs, verifiable video evidence, or credible investigative reports.
If you believe this notice has been placed in error, or once the article has been updated to address these concerns, please visit the Moderator's noticeboard, or the #appeals channel on our Discord server: Join here.
Google displays an example of a retroactively amended purchase by removing an accessibility feature of the Pixel Buds and failing to offer a reasonable alternative to customers who rely on it.
Background
Google Pixel Buds are a line of Bluetooth earphones that integrate with Android smartphones. The Buds offer standard media and noise isolation controls via a touch sensitive surface.
When the assistant is invoked without speaking to it, it will read out the time and read any unread notifications. On supported apps, the assistant feature could be used for text entry.
Removal of the "Touch and Hold" Feature
In Early September of 2024, Google silently rolled out an update removing the "Touch and Hold" Gesture from the earbuds.
Some users were suggested to ask the Google Assistant to read their notifications when attempting to invoke the gesture.[1]
Google's response
In a forum post, Google cited customer feedback for the removal but did not elaborate further. They suggest asking the assistant to read your notifications.[2]
Consumer response
A quick Google search reveals dozens of Reddit posts from owners disappointing by the fact it was removed completely instead of being made a toggleable option[3][4], some are looking for workarounds.[5][6]
References
- ↑ https://9to5google.com/2024/09/17/pixel-buds-pro-notifications/ (Archived)
- ↑ https://support.google.com/assistant/thread/297016719/google-assistant-spoken-notifications-change-on-pixel-buds (Archived)
- ↑ https://redlib.aosus.link/r/GooglePixel/comments/1fleu1g/google_is_taking_away_the_touch_and_hold_function/ (Archived)
- ↑ https://redlib.aosus.link/r/pixelbuds/comments/1fleksj/i_got_the_dreaded_touch_and_hold_is_going_away/ (Archived)
- ↑ https://redlib.aosus.link/r/pixelbuds/comments/1imf98p/anyone_tried_taskerautomate_to_mimic_touch_and/ (Archived)
- ↑ https://redlib.aosus.link/r/pixelbuds/comments/1fefa3i/touch_and_hold_wont_read_notifications_anymore/ (Archived)