By Lydia | Last Updated
Struggling with iPhone volume settings when you're making a phone call, listening to music, or watching a video? Luckily, adjusting your iPhone’s volume is easier than you might think.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through various methods for changing volume on iPhone, providing step-by-step instructions to cover all your needs.
Before diving into the specifics, it’s essential to understand the different volume settings available on your iPhone:
1. Ringer Volume: This controls the sound of incoming calls, notifications, and alerts.
2. Media Volume: This affects the volume for media playback, including music, videos, and podcasts.
3. Call Volume: This adjusts the sound during phone calls.
4. System Volume: This encompasses all other system sounds, including lock sounds on iPhone.
One of the simplest ways (available for all iOS devices) to adjust your iPhone's volume is by using the physical hardware buttons. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1: On the left side of your iPhone, you will find two buttons stacked vertically—one for increasing volume (the top button) and one for decreasing volume (the bottom button).
Step 2: Increase or Decrease Volume:
To increase: Press the top button repeatedly until you reach your desired volume level.
To decrease: Press the bottom button repeatedly until the volume reaches your preferred level.
Step 3: As you press the volume buttons, a volume indicator will appear on the screen, showing the current volume level. This visual feedback ensures you can adjust the volume precisely.
Tips: For iOS 13 and later, the volume adjustment box will appear at the top of the screen with a bell icon when adjusting ringer volume on iPhone. While you’re adjusting "media volume" using the volume buttons, the volume adjustment box will appear on the left side of the screen, allowing you to quickly adjust the volume by touching the slider.
Note: In non-silent mode, the ringer volume cannot be set to zero by physical volume button directly. However, media volume can be set directly to the lowest level.
The Control Center on your iPhone provides another convenient way to manage your volume settings:
Step 1: Access Control Center:
For iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and later): Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen.
For iPhones with a Home Button (iPhone SE and iPhone 8 and earlier): Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
Step 2: Locate the volume slider, which is usually represented by a speaker icon with a vertical bar.
Step 3: Drag the slider up or down to increase or decrease the volume, respectively.
Step 4: Tap anywhere outside the Control Center or swipe up to close it after adjusting the volume.
Note: This Volume slider can only change the media volume on iPhone.
For more granular control over your iPhone’s sound settings, you can adjust the iPhone system volume through the Settings app:
Step 1: Tap the Settings app on your home screen.
Step 2: Scroll down and select "Sounds & Haptics". In some iPhone versions, it names "Sounds".
Step 3: Adjust the Ringer and Alerts slider to set your preferred volume level. Drag the slider left to decrease the volume or right to increase it. You can set it to zero to enable the silence mode.
Tips: If you want to adjust the ringer volume using the hardware buttons, ensure the Change with Buttons toggle is turned on. If you prefer to control this volume separately from the media volume, turn it off. The settings also adjust call volume on iPhone at the same time.
It is worth noted that if "Change with Buttons" option is enabled, then using the physical volume buttons will only adjust the ringer volume, not the media volume.
Step 1: Go to iPhone Settings > General > Accessibility.
Step 2: Tap on Touch, and then "AssistiveTouch", and then turn it on.
Step 3: Click the AssistiveTouch icon on the screen to enable its menu.
Step 4: Open Device from the menu.
Step 5: Tap Volume Up or Volume Down in the sub-menu to change the volume.
Siri, Apple’s voice-activated assistant, can also help you manage your iPhone’s volume:
Step 1: Press and hold the side button or use the "Hey Siri" voice command.
Step 2: You can say commands like "Increase the volume" or "Set volume to 50%". Siri will adjust the volume accordingly.
Steps: Navigate to Settings > Music, locate and tap on "EQ" option, choose the style you prefer, then back to settings.
For iOS 14 and later, it provides options to limit Headphone max volume:
Step 1: Firstly, go to settings > Control Center. Type on the "+" besides the "Sound Recognition" to add it to the Control Center.
Step 2: Go to settings > Sound & Haptics, tap on "Headphone Safety", turn on the "Reduce Loud Audio".
Step 3: Drag slider to select the max decibel for headphone audio. The recommended headphone volume is below 80 decibels.
Step 4: Swipe out the iPhone Control Center to see an ear icon that shows whether the current headphone volume is safe.
If the volume is too high, a yellow exclamation mark will appear; if it's normal, a green checkmark will be displayed. When listening to music at a high decibel level, the iPhone will automatically reduce it to 80 decibels to protect your ears.
Tips: If you find that the iPhone sound is reduced when gaming with a microphone, or connecting to car Bluetooth, you can try turning off this feature.
You can also check the Headphone volume in the Health app: Go to Health > Browse > Hearing > Headphone Audio Levels to see the headphone exposure over the past seven days.
Notes: If you’ve enabled "Screen Time", it can automatically change the max Headphone volume. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content and Privacy Restrictions > Reduce Loud Sounds, and then set it to "Don't allow".
If you experience problems with your iPhone’s volume, try these troubleshooting tips:
1. Check Silent Mode: Ensure that the Silent switch on the side of your iPhone is not set to silent (orange).
2. Restart Your iPhone: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve volume-related issues. Press and hold the side button and either volume button, then slide to power off. Turn your iPhone back on by pressing the side button.
3. Update iOS: Make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.
4. Reset All Settings: If the volume issue persists, consider resetting all settings. This won’t delete your data but will reset your settings to their default state. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings.
Managing the volume on your iPhone is straightforward with multiple methods at your disposal. Whether using physical buttons, the Control Center, settings, Siri, or troubleshooting tips, you can easily adjust the volume to suit your needs.
