Google Recorder app tests saving audio in the higher-quality WAV format

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Much like previous Pixel devices, the Google Pixel 4 series was leaked quite extensively well ahead of its launch. We learned a fair bit about the device’s capabilities from these leaks and we got a good look at all the new features Google planned to introduce with the device. Among these was the Recorder app, which was even available for download ahead of the Pixel 4 launch. At first, the app was pretty barebones and just helped users take quick voice notes. But then Google pushed an update for the app which added some handy features like automatic transcriptions and audio search. The app was then officially launched with the Pixel 4 series and it was subsequently released for older Pixel devices. The first official release included all the aforementioned features, making it a handy app for both students and journalists. Now, Google is testing another change that will help you record higher quality audio with the app.

Currently, the Google Recorder app saves recordings in .m4a format, but it’s testing the ability to save audio in a higher-quality .wav format. Our Editor-in-Chief Mishaal Rahman managed to partially enable this functionality but was unable to export the .wav file.

However, he discovered the raw .wav audio file alongside the .m4a file in the app’s data folder which confirms that the app was indeed saving audio in .wav. As of now, it isn’t clear when Google will release the higher-quality audio support, but we expect to see more details in the next release of the app.