How to Improve Audio Quality on Android (No Root)

Does the music on your phone sound flat or thin?

I love listening to music whenever I'm free, and I want it to sound good.

The quick answer: start with your phone's built-in sound effects and your music app's streaming quality. Those two make the biggest difference, and neither needs root.

When I wrote this in 2017, my answer was a sound mod called Ainur NERO, flashed through TWRP on a rooted phone. I installed it on my own phone, and it worked fine.

Today, I wouldn't do that. You can get better sound without root, and most of what you need is already on your phone.

Below, I'll show you the easiest ways to improve audio quality on any Android phone.

Also Read: How to Get Dolby Atmos on Your Android Phone

TL;DR

• Built-in sound effects: search Settings for "Dolby", "sound effects" or "equalizer". On a Pixel, turn on Spatial Audio instead.
• Streaming quality: set your music app to its highest quality. On Spotify, the top two levels need Premium.
• Bluetooth codec: choose LDAC or aptX HD in Developer options, if your phone and headphones both support it.
• Wavelet: a no-root system equalizer with AutoEq headphone profiles. It's free, with in-app purchases.
• Root sound mods: skip them. They're risky on a modern phone.

What Affects Audio Quality on Android?

There are limits, and it's worth knowing them first. If your phone's speaker is small or your headphones are cheap, no setting will make them sound like a studio recording.

A mod couldn't do that in 2017 either.

You can change three things:

• The tuning, with an equalizer or sound effects.
• The source, meaning the quality your music app streams at.
• The connection, meaning which Bluetooth codec your headphones use.

I'll start with the easiest.

Audio Quality Options at a Glance

1. Turn On Your Phone's Built-In Sound Effects

Most phones have sound tuning hidden in Settings. The fastest way to find it is to search for "Dolby", "sound effects" or "equalizer".

Here's where it lives on popular phones:

• Samsung: "Settings" → "Sounds and vibration" → "Sound quality and effects". You'll find "Dolby Atmos", an "Equalizer", "Adapt sound" and "UHQ upscaler".
• Motorola: "Settings" → "Sound & vibration" → "Dolby Atmos", with modes and a custom equalizer.
• Xiaomi: "Settings" → "Sound & vibration" → "Sound effects".

If you have a Galaxy, try "Adapt sound", which runs a quick hearing test and builds a sound profile for your ears.

One caveat: the "UHQ upscaler" only works with wired earphones.

I've covered the Dolby side in detail in my Dolby Atmos guide.

2. Turn On Spatial Audio on a Pixel

Google's Pixels have Spatial Audio instead of Dolby Atmos. It makes movies and shows with 5.1 or better sound feel like they're all around you.

1. Open "Settings" → "Sound & vibration" → "Spatial audio".
2. Turn it on for "Wired headphones", or tap "Connected devices settings" for your Bluetooth headphones.

It works best with movies and shows, in apps like YouTube, Netflix and Disney Plus.

3. Raise the Streaming Quality in Your Music App

This one surprises people. Many music apps lower the quality to save data, so the song you hear may be much worse than the song itself.

Take Spotify as an example:

1. Tap your profile picture.
2. Tap "Settings and privacy".
3. Under "Media Quality", set Wi-Fi and cellular streaming to the highest option.
4. Turn off "Auto-adjust" if you want it to stay high.

Spotify's levels run from "Low" (about 24 kbit/s) up to "Very high" (about 320 kbit/s) and "Lossless" (up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz). The top two need Premium.

Other music apps have a similar setting, so look for "audio quality" or "streaming quality" in their settings.

Keep an eye on your mobile data if you choose the highest quality on cellular.

4. Use a Better Bluetooth Codec

A codec decides how your music is compressed to travel over Bluetooth. If both your phone and your headphones support a better one, like LDAC or aptX HD, you can choose it yourself.

1. Turn on Developer options: go to "Settings" → "About phone" and tap "Build number" seven times.
2. Connect your Bluetooth headphones and play some music.
3. Open "Developer options" and tap "Bluetooth Audio Codec".
4. Pick the best one that isn't greyed out. Greyed out means your phone or headphones don't support it.

Using LDAC? Tap "Bluetooth Audio LDAC Codec: Playback Quality" and choose "Optimized for Audio Quality".

If the sound starts cutting out, go back to "Best Effort (Adaptive Bit Rate)". A stable connection beats a high bitrate that keeps dropping.

Also Read: 9 Cool Android Hacks You Can Try (No Root Needed)

5. Install Wavelet for Headphone Tuning

If your phone has no good equalizer, this is the app I'd try first.

Wavelet is a system-wide equalizer on Google Play, and it doesn't need root.

Its best feature is AutoEq. You pick your headphone model from a list of thousands, and Wavelet applies a correction profile that makes it sound more neutral.

It also has a graphic equalizer, a bass tuner, channel balance and a limiter to stop clipping.

• Pros: No root, works across most apps, headphone profiles switch automatically.
• Cons: Some features are paid, and it's made for headphones more than the phone speaker.
• Price: Free, with in-app purchases.

Should You Still Use Root Sound Mods?

You might be wondering what happened to Ainur NERO and Viper4Android.

They were the big root sound mods back then. Ainur NERO was made by UltraM8 and shared on XDA for the phones of that time.

My 2017 steps used TWRP, a rooted phone and a zip file from Mediafire. I've removed them, and here's why:

• Rooting a phone today means unlocking the bootloader, which wipes it.
• Many banking and payment apps check Play Integrity, and rooted phones often fail it.
• Old zips made for 2017 Android versions can stop a modern phone from booting.

Everything on this list gets you most of the way there, without any of that risk.

Which Option Should You Try First?

Start with the two settings that make the biggest difference.

• Any phone: raise your streaming quality for music, and check the built-in sound effects.
• Pixel: try Spatial Audio for movies and shows.
• Weak headphone sound: try Wavelet.

Final Thoughts

Start with your phone's built-in sound settings and your music app's streaming quality. Those two make the biggest difference.

Then try a better Bluetooth codec, and Wavelet if you want to tune your headphones properly. Root sound mods are the one thing I'd skip.

The main caveat is that no setting can fix a small speaker or cheap headphones.

FAQs

How do I improve audio quality on Android without root?

Start with your phone's built-in sound effects, then raise the streaming quality in your music app. A better Bluetooth codec like LDAC or aptX HD helps if your phone and headphones both support it.

Is Spatial Audio the same as Dolby Atmos?

No. Google's Pixels have Spatial Audio, while Samsung and Motorola phones have Dolby Atmos in their sound settings.

Why is my Bluetooth codec option greyed out?

Greyed out means your phone or your headphones don't support that codec. Pick the best one that isn't greyed out instead.

Does higher streaming quality use more data?

Yes. Keep an eye on your mobile data if you choose the highest quality on cellular.

Is it safe to install a root sound mod?

I wouldn't. Rooting unlocks the bootloader, which wipes the phone, and many banking and payment apps check Play Integrity, which rooted phones often fail.

Still stuck? Tell me through the contact page.