AirPods are expensive wireless earbuds; therefore, you expect them to produce optimized sounds despite the surroundings. You might want to enjoy some excellent music on your way to work, but the audio gets overpowered by the background noise. We’ve compiled this guide to help make your AirPods louder.
You can make your AirPods louder with the in-built Siri feature on the AirPods or alter settings using the iPhone. Alternatively, cleaning your AirPods, among other things, can help fix volume issues and improve sound quality.
Table Of Contents
Why Are My AirPods So Quiet?
AirPods may face performance issues such as being too quiet or not as loud as they should be. Several factors can lead to the problem of having low sound even at max volume. They include;
Dirt and Wax Buildup
AirPods are designed to feature small openings on the exteriors to prevent a drowning sensation when wearing them. The small spaces may allow dirt and dust to penetrate your AirPods.
Earwax buildup is a common issue, especially for persons wearing the AirPods for extended periods. The buildup is also common for someone who has excessive earwax production.
Related: How to Find Your AirPods Case?
Improper Settings
Improper settings from your music app/ phone can lead to lower volume on your AirPods. They rely on software processing to determine how loud your audio should be. Altering equalizer settings, turning on volume limits, and switching to low-power mode can make AirPods quieter than usual. You can change these settings to fix your volume problem.
Related: AirPods Pro Vs. AirPods 3 – A Detailed Comparison
Firmware Issue
AirPods and IOS using outdated firmware can experience sound performance hurdles. You can solve the issue by updating the AirPods to the latest firmware. Here is how you can check your iPhone’s firmware version;
- Click on the Settings icon and tap on General
- Tap on Software Update
- Wait for a few seconds as the device checks for the latest available iOS
Test on the firmware version of your AirPods by clicking on Settings and About, then tap on your AirPods. For outdated AirPods’ firmware, update by;
- Place the AirPods in the charging case
- Connect the charging case to a power source
- Put the AirPods next to a paired iPhone or iPad. Make sure you have an active internet connection.
- The firmware update should start automatically.
Related: How Long Do AirPods Last? Battery & Life Expectancy
How to Make Your AirPods Louder Hack
You have probably encountered the common low volume problem, especially if you own Apple AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. Below are common tricks and hacks to help fix the AirPods volume issue.
-
Turn off “reduce loud sounds.”
iPhone may be configured with a volume limit. You can disable the feature by;
- Click on the Settings icon, then select Sounds and Haptics
- Tap Headphone Safety, then toggle Reduce Loud Sounds
- Adjust the maximum volume output on the pop-up slider.
-
Calibrate the sound between the iPhone and AirPods
AirPods and paired devices may have varying minimum and maximum volume definitions. Alter the connections by;
- Put your AirPods in and play some music
- Lower iPhone volume all the way using the volume button
- Turn off your Bluetooth connection in your iPhone settings
- Let the sound play on your iPhone speaker. Turn the volume all the way down
- Configure the Bluetooth back on in the control settings
- Reconnect the AirPods in Bluetooth, especially if they don’t connect automatically
- Play the music again and adjust accordingly to achieve the best sound.
Related: Raycon vs. AirPods – Which Earbuds Are Right For You?
-
Turn off low power mode
Low power mode on the iPhone can affect non-critical systems. Turn off the low power mode and switch to standard power mode.
- Go to settings on your iPhone.
- Navigate battery options
- Tap “Low Power Mode” to toggle off.
-
Turn off any equalizer settings.
The enabled equalizer (EQ) setting tends to make audio played via the AirPods quieter. Disable the EQ/ Booster options by following these steps;
- Open the settings app and navigate to music
- Toggle EQ and Sound Check off
Related: How To Change Name On AirPods? A Step By Step Guide
How to Make Your AirPods Louder in Settings
The iPhone is set to limit headphone volume to deter damage to your hearing ability. Here are steps to help boost volume in settings;
Option 1
- Click on the Settings tab and tap Sounds & Haptics
- Tap Headphone Safety
- Toggle on/off Reduce Loud Sounds
- Drag the decibel slider that includes a maximum headphone volume
- Open your AirPods to check if the changes made any difference
Option 2
If the above cap trick doesn’t solve your volume issues, here is an alternative procedure to follow;
- Click on the Settings, go to Accessibility and then tap on hearing.
- Tap on Audio/ Visual, then check the right and left Balance.
- Move to your Bluetooth settings and disconnect your AirPods by tapping the “i” next to the AirPods. Then select Forget this Device.
- Pair the AirPods again to reconnect and see if the volume is improved
- Reset your AirPods by holding the button on the back of the charging case. Reconnect to pair your AirPods to your handset
Option 3
AirPods Max integrates a Digital Crown that enables increasing volume via rotation of the crown clockwise or counterclockwise. You can adjust the volume as highlighted below;
- Click on the settings app and tap Bluetooth.
- On the Bluetooth settings, tap the “i” button next to your AirPods Max on the screen.
- Tap Digital crown.
- Under Increase volume by rotating; choose either back to front or front to back.
Related: How to Connect Two AirPods to One Phone?
How to Make my AirPods Louder on Spotify
Here is how you can adjust the Playback of Spotify from your iPhone.
- Open the Spotify app on your iOS device.
- Tap the Gear icon in the top right-hand corner
- Select Playback and scroll down to click Equalizer
- The equalizer line will be flat. Use the white dots to adjust the slider up or down to fine-tune the Playback.
Alternatively, if you are using iOS 13 and above, you can command Siri to play and adjust the volume on Spotify.
Related: Best Spotify Equalizer Settings For Your Music & Listening Device
How to Make AirPods Louder Than Max
Try asking Siri. Using Siri, you can adjust your AirPods volume. Command Siri to turn the volume up, and it will do that for you. Siri responds to complex commands such as “Hey Siri, turn up the volume by 50%.”
- Turn on the voice command from your iOS device
- Head to the settings app on your iPhone
- Navigate to Siri & search
- Turn on the Listen for “Hey Siri” option
- Toggle on, and allow Siri when locked.
Related: Why Do My AirPods Keep Pausing? Reasons & Solutions
How to Make AirPods Louder on iPhone SE?
Latest versions of iOS feature Headphone Accommodations to aid in amplifying sounds. Here are directions to follow;
- Head to the settings app and tap Accessibility
- Select the Audio/ Visual option, then select Headphone Accommodations.
- Turn on Headphone Accommodations
- Customize audio settings for better sound output]
Related: Beats Studio Buds Vs. AirPods Pro – Which one is Right For You?
How to Make My AirPods Louder – FAQs
Why is My AirPods Volume so Low in One Ear?
If one ear sounds lower than the other, an accessibility setting on the iPhone might suppress the volume on one side. Fix the issue by clicking on the settings app and tapping on accessibility. Tap audio/ visual and make sure the left/ right slider is balanced with the button in the middle.
Conclusion
AirPods are prone to the volume not being loud enough, especially in noisy surroundings. Making your AirPods louder in places with a lot of ambient noise can help in crucial activities like receiving essential phone calls. If your AirPods experience volume issues, consider trying some of the mentioned fixes to enjoy your playlist at the intended volume level.