Is your iPhone volume too low? How to fix it
Not being able to hear music, audiobooks, or the alarm on your iPhone can be a headache. There’s often a quick fix, especially if it’s a simple problem with your software. Here are some simple tips to increase the volume of your smartphone.
High volume can damage your ears, so be careful when using the tricks below.
Your iPhone may be silent
First, we’ll go over some basic areas that can be easily overlooked. For example, you might have been annoyed by shutter noise when taking pictures, so set your phone to Quiet by sliding the small switch in the upper left corner of your iPhone. If it is closer to the screen, the volume is on. If it is near the back of the device, the phone is muted. Silent mode shouldn’t affect your music, but it will affect your iPhone’s alarm volume.
If you’re using an iPhone 15 or later, this is now the Actions button. To change it to Silent mode, go to Settings > Action button then click on the symbol that looks like a bell with a drawn line.
Your iPhone’s volume may be reduced
You can find it on the side of the phone under the Action button or the Silent switch Volume buttons that gradually adjust sounds for videos and music. This also works if you are trying to increase the ringtone volume.
If the buttons do not change anything, go to Settings > Sounds & Hapticsthen check it out Change using buttons is on. Alternatively, change the volume using Control center by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen (iPhone X and later).
There is also an option to limit the maximum volume. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Security. You can turn on there Reduce loud noises. This should automatically be set to 85 decibels (“loud like heavy city traffic”), but you can go as high as 100 decibels (“loud as an ambulance siren”), just be careful with it. Your phone will notify you if you exceed the recommended volume levels in a week.
Make sure your iPhone is not connected to Bluetooth
There may be no problem with your speakers at all; you may be connected to another device. You might not notice this if you’re using wireless headphones like Apple’s AirPods (and if you want to turn up the volume on them, there are various ways to increase the sound quality on AirPods). This can also happen if you use Apple TV or connect your phone to your vehicle’s audio system.
To try it out, swipe down from the top right corner of the interface to access your Control center and turn off Bluetooth. Otherwise, go to Settings > Bluetoothwhere you can also check which devices you are connected to. Unplug as needed.
You can also click on the pyramid at the bottom of the screen while playing music or video; tap this to select where the song plays.
Make sure Do Not Disturb is turned off
Do Not Disturb stops disturbing you when you’re busy or asleep; notifications will not appear and calls will not ring. Maybe you activated it and forgot to turn it off.
You should check yours first Control center by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen. Tap on Concentrate and check Do not disturb to see if it is disabled or not.
You should also check if this feature is in the pipeline, so head on over Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Scroll down to see if a plan is set; if so, tap on it and tap to turn it off Schedule or get rid of it completely by double-clicking it Delete schedule.
Update and reset your iPhone
The classic advice of turning your device off and on again when a problem occurs is a great way to fix problems on your iPhone. A forced restart on your iPhone could remove any minor software issues from your device. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any personal data by restarting.
You may also have an old version of iOS installed. While this shouldn’t cause audio complications, it’s always worth keeping your iPhone updated to fix any issues. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if a new version of iOS is available.
If the problem is with an app—for example, volume everywhere on your iPhone except when using a specific app—check for an update to install via App Store. If not, you can contact the developer for advice.
Toggle the equalizer to make your iPhone music louder
Maybe there is nothing wrong with your phone. Some just want music and alarms to play as loud as possible.
Get out Settings > Apps > Music > EQ. This is it Off by default, but you can use it to highlight certain sounds when listening to songs. Try switching it to Late evening. The mode compresses the dynamic range, inverting the sound so that loud sounds are reduced and quieter tones are amplified.
The difference is not huge and will depend on the songs you listen to. However, you will often hear the volume increase, especially when listening through headphones.
Make sure your iPhone is not in headphone mode
This mostly applies to older iPhones with headphone jacks, but newer models can still get dirt in the charging port (especially if you’re using a wired headphone adapter).
If your iPhone thinks headphones are connected, it will play music over a non-existent connection. Adjust the volume using the side buttons; the screen will tell you if it is routed through another speaker.
If you’re using AirPods, the Bluetooth solution above should fix it. Otherwise, shine into the headphone jack; you can see blockages. Such debris can be small, so you may have a problem even if you can’t see anything. This can also be a problem if your iPhone speaker is not working.
Try inserting the headphones or charging cable and then remove them. Do this a few times and try the volume again. It could cause the dirt inside to become loose.
Use a soft lens cloth to gently clean the connector and speaker area. You can also use a dry cotton ball, cotton ball, or toothbrush to lightly rub the edge of the small depression. Do not push anything into the recesses as this could push dirt further in. You can apply some rubbing alcohol to the cotton beforehand.
Avoid other liquids as they may cause further damage. Even a small amount of sweat can trick your phone into thinking headphones are connected.
Sadly, if these tricks don’t help – and you’re not experienced enough to deconstruct your device – you’ll need to visit Apple for professional help. But in most cases, you shouldn’t worry too much about your iPhone volume not working problems. They are usually caused by a simple oversight.