Google's new Pixel Buds 2 may tell you more about your surroundings with "attention alerts" that go far beyond the AirPods Pro's Transparency mode

The Pixel Buds 2 just launched this week, but even so, 9to5Google explored the code of the new Pixel Buds app and found that there is a command string that refers to the attention alerts The alert feature can notify Pixel Buds wearers when the fire alarm is sounding or when a baby is crying

While the Pixel Buds 2 do not have noise canceling capabilities, they are quite good at blocking out unwanted background noise In addition, Google offers adaptive sound that dynamically adjusts volume as you move between quiet and noisy environments, something the AirPods Pro does not offer

The Smart Alert feature gives the Pixel Buds 2 another advantage over Apple and would be useful for capturing important external sounds that the wearer should be aware of

Enabling alerts would not be a big step for Google, given that the Pixel Buds 2 already has some smart sound processing capabilities It could work in tandem with the microphones of partnering Android phones to aid in sound detection and processing

There is no information on how such an alert system would work However, if the Pixel Buds detect a sound worthy of attention, an audio notification could be triggered that tells the wearer what sound was detected and that it is a sound worthy of attention

However, this raises privacy concerns: the Pixel Buds 2 already hears the trigger phrases 'OK Google' and 'Hey Google', but if it constantly hears different sounds, it could hear almost everything, including the wearer's conversations and those of passersby If it constantly hears different sounds, it could end up hearing almost everything, including the wearer's conversation and the conversations of passersby Therefore, Google will likely add filtering capabilities and opt-in options

It has not yet been announced if or when Google will enable the alert feature However, since the Attention Alert code seems to exist, Google may just do a final test and enable the feature with a simple app and a Buds firmware update