YouTube on Google TV and Android TV's volume issues are about to be solved
Stable Volume is on the way, and it's about time
Google TV and Android TV are fantastic streaming device operating systems, but they're not perfect. One flaw is with the YouTube app — the volume is all over the place depending on the video you're watching. Thankfully, an update will fix the issue with a new feature called Stable Volume.
As the name implies, the feature will alter the volume as you switch between different YouTube videos. You will no longer have to crank up the volume for a video from one content creator only to hurt your ears when the next one screams at you about whatever topic YouTube throws at you next.
The feature was already available for YouTube on Android, so it makes sense that Google would bring it to its Google TV and Android platforms.
Essentially, the feature will analyze audio and normalize across videos. That means you won't have to pick up the remote and adjust the volume for each video — you can kick back and enjoy the content at a relatively consistent volume. If the analysis finds the volume of a video is too loud, it'll lower it and vice versa.
We'll have to test the feature to see how well it works, but it sounds promising, and it's been well-received on Android.
Google is bringing Stable Volume to streaming devices like the Chromecast with Google TV and some of the best smart TVs from brands like Hisense, Sony and TCL. It's rolling out now through a YouTube app update. On Android and Google TV, version v4.40.303 adds the new Stable Volume feature, so be sure to update your YouTube app to get it.
It's worth noting that the new feature is on by default, so if you prefer manually updating the volume for each video (I'm not sure why you'd want to do that), you'll need to go into Settings within the YouTube app and turn it off.
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Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.