diff --git a/core/api/current.txt b/core/api/current.txt
index 02c30e3b17221..ec63a050a7278 100644
--- a/core/api/current.txt
+++ b/core/api/current.txt
@@ -22190,7 +22190,7 @@ package android.media {
     field public static final String KEY_AAC_DRC_OUTPUT_LOUDNESS = "aac-drc-output-loudness";
     field public static final String KEY_AAC_DRC_TARGET_REFERENCE_LEVEL = "aac-target-ref-level";
     field public static final String KEY_AAC_ENCODED_TARGET_LEVEL = "aac-encoded-target-level";
-    field public static final String KEY_AAC_MAX_OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT = "aac-max-output-channel_count";
+    field @Deprecated public static final String KEY_AAC_MAX_OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT = "aac-max-output-channel_count";
     field public static final String KEY_AAC_PROFILE = "aac-profile";
     field public static final String KEY_AAC_SBR_MODE = "aac-sbr-mode";
     field public static final String KEY_ALLOW_FRAME_DROP = "allow-frame-drop";
diff --git a/media/java/android/media/MediaFormat.java b/media/java/android/media/MediaFormat.java
index 4956dbefa240b..7d3f91653cea6 100644
--- a/media/java/android/media/MediaFormat.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/MediaFormat.java
@@ -793,8 +793,11 @@ public final class MediaFormat {
      * By default, the decoder will output the same number of channels as present in the encoded
      * stream, if supported. Set this value to limit the number of output channels, and use
      * the downmix information in the stream, if available.
-     * <p>Values larger than the number of channels in the content to decode are ignored.
+     * <p>Values larger than the number of channels in the content to decode behave just
+     * like the actual channel count of the content (e.g. passing 99 for the decoding of 5.1 content
+     * will behave like using 6).
      * <p>This key is only used during decoding.
+     * @deprecated Use the non-AAC-specific key {@link #KEY_MAX_OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT} instead
      */
     public static final String KEY_AAC_MAX_OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT = "aac-max-output-channel_count";