AirPods Pro are among the most popular true wireless earbuds in the market. However, many users have reported issues with the sound volume being too low.
This article is aimed at providing a comprehensive guide on how to make your AirPods Pro sound louder.
By following the simple steps i'm going to cover, you will be able to enjoy your music, podcasts, and other audio content at a more optimal volume.
Whether it's adjusting the volume on your device, using EQ settings, or using third-party software, you will find all the information you need to boost the sound volume of your AirPods Pro.
The best way to make AirPods Pro Sound Louder is to utilize Siri to increase or decrease the volume. This will ensure a higher increase in volume if there are any mechanical issues with the volume button. Alternatively, there are various other tips and tricks such as Improving EQ settings, changing the Volume Limiter Settings, and much more, the user can use in case Siri doesn't work.
13 Ways How To Make Your AirPods Pro Louder
Solution 1 -- Clean your AirPods Pro
As we all are aware of the earwax situation we face quite often, anything that’s frequently placed in the ears would tend to accumulate earwax.
- The AirPods Pro are no exception to this case, when earwax accumulates at the mesh covering the speakers of the AirPods Pro, it reduces the level of the sound by a drastic margin thus making it hard to hear. ,
- It’s an easy fix but one that needs to be done carefully so as not to damage the AirPods themselves. While cleaning your AirPods Pro make sure to use a soft tool such as a cotton swab or a soft bristled toothbrush so the mesh covering for the speaker is not damaged. ,
You have to remember, the mesh casing is held on by glue and would be ripped apart if it is cleaned with a toothpick or a pin. The mesh used are not waterproof and would result in damage of the speakers if a wet cloth is used to clean the earwax off. , ,
Solution 2 -- Perform the Ear Tip Fit Test
If you're facing issues with the volume and can hear external sounds even with the AirPods Pro in your ears, then you can perform the ear tip fit test and see which tips offer the best sound isolation for your ears.
Using smaller ear tips will lead to sound leaks and luckily Apple has introduced a Ear Fit test for iPhone's or iPad's running on iOS 13.2 or later. This test will check the fit of the current ear tips and see if the size offers the best acoustic performance and seal.
To perform this test,
- Place your AirPods Pro in your ears and on your iPhone or iPad, open the Bluetooth settings
- Settings >, Bluetooth
- Locate the AirPods Pro from the list and tap on the (i) icon next to the name
- Scroll down and tap on Ear Tip Fit Test
- Finally tap on Continue followed by Play
The test will play a couple of sounds and notes at different volumes allowing you to swap ear tips and check which one offers the best levels of sound isolation.
Solution 3 -- Check EQ Settings
While using AirPods Pro, the Music App on the iPhone holds a couple of settings that can help increase the volume on the AirPods Pro significantly.
- One of these is the EQ setting where Apple provides up to 23 different preset equalizer settings based on the genre of music you’re listening to.
- These can be changed at any point in time but will not auto change based on the different songs played and would have to be done manually each time. ,
In order to change the EQ setting and pick an appropriate preset:
- First open “Settings” on your iPhone/iPad and select “Music”.
- Under “Music” scroll till you locate the “Playback” section and click on “EQ” located within.
- Upon doing so toggle the off switch and turn on EQ settings.
You are presented with up to 23 preset equalizer settings for different sound outputs. This could help gradually improve the low volume levels. ,
These 23 presets can be extremely valuable. For example, if you want to elevate the quality of the music then you can select Bass Booster to get those beats pumping. This feature is especially useful if you listen o Hip-Hop or Rap songs. Additionally, there are various other pre-sets that can elevate a type of music.
The Deep pre-set can improve the quality of deep house soundtracks and the Spoken Word present can improve the volume and quality of podcasts. So, if you cannot hear the words in the track clearly, then this pre-set is extremely useful in providing clarity.
However, it is important to note that the EQ pre-sets are only beneficial if there issues with the music or voice track itself. For example, if the track was recorded in poor quality, then the EQ pre-sets can help increase the specific frequency and make it more clear. But if it's a technical issue, then you'd have to look at the other solutions.
Related: How to Fix The AirPods Pro Case Not Charging | 5 Solutions That Worked For Me
Solution 4 -- Check Volume Limiter Settings
The most obvious reason Apple has a volume limiter on the devices is that their devices are capable of causing permanent ear damage.
- Our ears are sensitive organs and can receive a wide range of frequencies, at extremely high levels the ear drums tend to get damaged over prolonged AirPods use and this is not good for our well being. ,
However, those who decide to go overboard and think that this is what they truly want ,can follow the below steps on how to turn off the volume limiter and gain access to the AirPods Pro true potential.
- Begin by accessing “Settings” on the iPhone/iPad and select “Music”
- Scroll down till the section “Playback” and select “Volume Limit” from the list.
- Toggle the volume limiter to “Off”. Upon doing so you’ll be able to access the last 25% of the missing volume level and can not hear the full range your AirPods Pro has to offer.
How to find if your volume is capped in iOS 14.3 and above devices
The above option has actually been removed by Apple in iOS 14.5 devices and above. This is because they don't want people damaging their ears due to exposure to loud music and having a liability on their hands. Earlier, they had a setting that limited the volume to the European Union's recommended maximum setting.
However, there is a new way to access the same type of setting. Just follow these steps on your iOS 14.3 and above devices.
- Head to Settings, then Tap on Sounds.
- You can find a Haptics option. Click that and head to headphone safety.
- Here you have an option to reduce loud sounds.
- Click that option to toggle the volume limit.
- Using the slider increase it to it's maximum instead of lowering it. It will automatically be set at the halfway mark.
- By pushing it to it's maximum, the overall volume of your AirPods will automatically increase.
Solution 5 -- Calibrate your AirPods Pro and your iPhone
Since it’s a Bluetooth device that has an understanding of its own, it might be a rare chance that the iPhone and AirPods Pro do not share the same understanding and would result in a mismatch of volume on both the devices. Read on to find out How To Make Your AirPods Pro Louder.
In order to cross-check this and re-calibrate the two devices, you will have to follow this fix.
- Start by connecting the AirPods Pro to your iPhone.
- Play a song while the AirPods are in your ears. ,
- Using the volume toggle on the iPhone, slowly reduce the volume all the way down till nothing is audible.
- Now, disconnect the AirPods by turning off the bluetooth on the iPhone that’s connected.
- Play music directly from the iPhones speakers, reduce the volume all the way till nothing is audible from the iPhone.
- Finally, reconnect the AirPods Pro with the iPhone and increase the volume adjusting it as you please.
Check out the latest AirPods Pro Here!
Solution 5 -- Check if Low Power Mode is on
Apple devices come with a feature to preserve the battery by lowering the overall performance of the phone. This is called Low Power Mode.
LPM turns on normally when the iPhones battery drops down to 10% to 20% and is a feature that restricts background refreshes so as to conserve the device until it’s plugged in to charge. ,
The maximum volume output is also hampered when the iPhone’s Low Power Mode kicks in. You can turn off the Low Power Mode on the iPhone to take advantage of what AirPods Pro truly has to offer.
- Head to “Settings” and tap on “Battery” ,
- Proceed to disable Low Power Mode and you’re able to maximize the sound output from your device to full range.
Solution 6 -- Check if your AirPods is Low on Battery
Other than low power mode, very low battery can be another factor that's causing your AirPods to act finicky. There have been loads of times where my AirPods volume was so low that I thought was a major issue. And it was simply a low battery issue.
- When the battery is low the processor will automatically reduce the volume to conserve battery life. Unfortunately, there's no indicator that shows us the status of the AirPod battery life. However, you can always ask Siri for the battery life.
- The average AirPods last for around 4.5 hours and it takes about 3 hours for it to charge completely.
- So, how do we know if it's the low battery issue that's affecting the AirPods volume? Simply, charge it to 80-100% and check the volume again. Of course, it'll help if your do this multiple times.
Check out the latest AirPods Pro Here!
Solution 7 -- Check Stereo Balance Settings
Is there a lot of difference in the overall volume output between your left AirPod and your right AirPod? This could be the result of mismatch in the Stereo Balance settings which is a relatively easy fix and you’ll notice a change instantly, when they’re set correctly. , ,
- Start by opening the “Settings” option on the primary device your AirPods are connected to.
- Proceed to “General” and tap on the “Accessibility” option. ,
- Under “Audio/Visual”, tap on “Mono Audio” if it is Enabled, Disable it.
- Proceed to the “Balance” section and using the scroll bar calibrate the balance to the center so the output is equal for both earbuds.
Solution 8 -- Check for Low volume while casting devices
While casting from an iPad/iPhone to your TV with the AirPods connected might be confusing to some users, there is a way to increase the volume of what’s being played and it’s not via your iPhone/iPad.
- Yes, a simple solution would be to raise the TV volume rather than that of the iPhone, this in turn increases the volume output from the AirPods making them significantly louder. ,
Solution 9 -- Disable Spatial Audio
One likely reason why the AirPods Pro sound soft is because Spatial Audio might be turned on. Spatial Audio converts stereo into surround sound and this can result in a drop in the volume while watching movies or listening to music.
An easy fix that I came across on Reddit is to disable Spatial Audio and you should be able to hear things louder on the AirPods Pro.
Here's how to do that,
- Swipe down on the iPhone / iPad that's connected to the AirPods Pro and open the Control Center
- Now tap and hold the volume slider and then tap on Spatialize Stereo
- Tap on Off to disable Spatial Audio and your playback should resume in regular Stereo
Solution 10 -- Update your iPhone
A highly probable cause behind the reduced volume on your AirPods would be certain bugs found in the firmware.
However, if that’s the case the only option available is to update your OS on the device as Apple tends to rectify bugs and provide quick fixes via their OS updates.
The way you can update your AirPods Pro is by updating the device your AirPods are connected with. Once your primary device has been updated, the AirPods Pro firmware will automatically update itself to the latest version, eliminating existing bugs in the firmware.
Check out the latest AirPods Pro Here!
Solution 11 -- Turn ANC Off
Most people overlook the Active Noise Cancellation feature of the AirPods Pro. When this feature is running in the background the music will be muffled/lowered to a certain extent. While it may seem paradoxical, ANC actually doesn't improve the quality of the music.
It in fact tends to inadvertently suppress the bass due to the to it's external noise cancellation feature. So, as you can imagine the overall quality of the music is lowered.
Obviously the best way to remedy this would be to turn off ANC feature when it is not needed is to turn it off. To turn off the ANC feature all you have to do is:
- Access the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner on the iPhone and long-press the volume bar that related to the AirPods Pro.
- Once you turn it off, the noise cancellation feature will be disabled.
- However, the easiest way to turn it off would be to long-press the sensor (force) on the stem of the AirPods Pro.
Solution 12 -- Reset your AirPods Pro
When all else fails, the last option to try and improve the volume levels on your AirPods Pro would be to Reset the device and pair them again. This could be the result of poor Bluetooth connectivity and ultimately turns the listening experience sour. ,Check out our guide on How To Make Your AirPods Pro Louder for more details.
The best way to rectify this is to reestablish the bluetooth connection link between the AirPods and your iPhone. You can achieve this by following the below mentioned reset steps:
- Open “Settings” app on your iPhone/iPad and tap on “Bluetooth”
- Tap on the (i) that’s situated on the right hand side of your AirPods name and tap on “Forget This Device” followed by “Confirm”
- Now place your AirPods in their charging case and shut the lid of the case. After approximately 30-40 seconds proceed to open the lid of the case.
- Located at the back of the device is the “Setup button”, press and hold down the button till the LED in the case begins flashing white repeatedly. The blinking light indicates that the AirPods are resetting.
- Close the lid of the case to complete the reset process.
- Reopen the lid again after a few seconds to begin the pairing process.
- On your primary Apple device with Bluetooth on, bring your AirPods Pro case along with the AirPods still inserted near the device until you see the setup popup on the screen.
- And now, tap on “Connect” on your iPhone/iPad to finish the process
Check out the latest AirPods Pro Here!
Solution 13 -- Restart Your iPhone
If all of the above fails, there is one last thing you can try before going to the service center and that's restarting your iPhone while it's still connected to the AirPods Pro.
While it may seem like such a common hack, a vast majority of us don't restart our phones that often. Most importantly, it's always worth giving it a try when there's a bug with the sound.
- To restart your iPhone all you have to do is Press and Hold the side button and volume up button till the power off slider appears on your screen.
- Drag the power slider and wait for around 30 seconds. Your phone will automatically switch off.
- Now, turn your phone back on by pressing and holding the side button. Now, make sure the AirPod Pro connection is set and play audio at the highest level to see if it's back to normal.
Check Apple Support
Sometimes, the problem might be with your AirPods. It can be a software issue or a hardware issue that isn't allowing it to get loud enough. In such cases, after trying all our tricks, if nothing works, then contact Apple support and check if something is wrong with your AirPods.
What Causes the AirPods Pro to Sound Soft?
There are several factors that can cause a drop in volume on your AirPods Pro:
- Battery level: If your AirPods Pro battery is low, it may result in a decrease in volume. Make sure to charge your AirPods Pro before using them.
- Volume limit: The volume limit feature on your AirPods Pro can also cause a drop in volume. This feature is designed to protect your hearing, so you may have to increase the volume limit in your device's settings to increase the volume.
- Audio source: The audio source you are using may also affect the volume of your AirPods Pro. If you are using a low-quality audio source, it may result in a drop in volume.
- Environmental noise: If you are in a noisy environment, it may be difficult to hear your AirPods Pro at their maximum volume.
- Dust and debris: Dust and debris can accumulate in the earbuds and speaker mesh, which can cause a drop in volume. Clean your AirPods Pro regularly to remove any debris that may be affecting the volume.
- Software issues: Software bugs and glitches can also cause a drop in volume. Make sure to keep your AirPods Pro and the device they are paired with updated to the latest software version.
- Damaged speaker mesh: If the speaker mesh on your AirPods Pro is damaged, it can cause a drop in volume. If you have damaged your AirPods Pro, it is best to contact Apple Support for assistance.
Can we Adjust the Volume on the AirPods Pro?
The answer is, yes you can. ,
This is achievable by manually increasing the volume on the iPhone your AirPods are connected to. Apple has designed their AirPods Pro to be a sleek device that is lightweight and did not want the AirPods Pro to feature buttons for the volume control. ,
Here Apple has programmed Siri to be the assistant to raise or decrease the volume of your AirPods Pro. ,
- Saying “Hey Siri” will wake her up. Post which you can ask her to raise or soften the volume.
- Siri will be able to increase and decrease the volume on command. When Siri raises the volume she does so in such a way that it’s not a sudden rise in decibels. Rather, Siri increases it slowly and at a rate that our ears can handle. ,
- You’re also able to command Siri to raise the volume by a certain degree or percentage. However, this is not recommended as a sudden rise in the volume levels can cause significant damage to your sensitive ears.
Other than these two methods there are some unique hacks you can use if you're really struggling with the volume.
Check out the latest AirPods Pro Here!
Why Do Some AirPods Pro come with a Volume Limiter?
Issues with the volume of your AirPods do not necessarily mean that it's defective. Sometimes it can be due to Apple's manufacturing decisions. For example, in the European Union there are strict laws regarding loud music and its damage to the human ears.
So, the EU has recommended Earphone manufacturers a recommended "Maximum Volume". So, if you happen to buy your AirPods in Europe or if you've managed to get your hands on a pair that was manufactured there, then the volume of your earbuds may seem low.
However, it is always best to check and make sure. Follow the following steps to check if your volume limit is actually capped.
- Head to settings
- Scroll up and click on music
- And hit the Volume limit
- Now, check and see if the EU volume is on
- You can turn it off and then set your own limits
How to Fix Loudness Problems with AirPods
The majority of the volume issues can be solved by fixing the AirPods Bluetooth related issues. However, it's important to keep both your phone and your AirPods updated.
Volume problems usually stem from the AirPods being updated while the phone is still in its old firmware version.
Once, that's sorted, it's time to fix the Bluetooth issue by re-syncing the AirPods with the phone. Simply follow these steps:
- Start by placing the AirPods in your ears and playing some music.
- Now, turn the volume all the way to zero.
- Next, head to the Bluetooth in the settings App and find the AirPods in the list of devices.
- Now for the most important part. Click the i next to Connected and tap Disconnect.
- Once, it's done, play the music on the phone. Make sure you have hear it through the phone's speaker. Now, tun the volume on your phone to zero. However, make sure the song is still playing.
- Now, Re-sync the AirPods to the Phone and follow all the prompts.
- Now, turn up the volume on your iPhone and check to see the AirPods volume is better.
Is there a hands-free way to adjust the AirPods volume? ,
Yes, you can use Siri to adjust your AirPods’s volume hands-free. To do so, all you have to do is activate Siri and try commanding it with “turn up the volume”. ,
Single AirPod volume problem with the Music app. What can I do to fix it? ,
In most cases, reconnecting and pairing your AirPods again can work pretty well. However, if you’re still facing the same issue, you can try updating your Music app. Moreover, if the sound coming out from your AirPods is a bit distorted, then try keeping your iPhone much closer. ,
What to do if one Airpod is Louder than the other?
There are times when a you might face an issue with one AirPod. For example, the left one might be louder than the right and vice-versa. Although this is pretty annoying, it's a common problem that can be easily fixed. In fact, the left one is generally weaker than the right due to the position of the mic.
Before you go to settings and try an fix it there. You need to ensure that it's a software problem and not a hardware issue. If one of your earbuds has wax accumulation, then you would physically need to remove it to improve the sound quality.
We recommend that you take the AirPods to a service center if you cannot get rid of the wax with a cotton swab or a toothbrush. Poking at it with a screwdriver or even a toothpick can not only damage the mesh but also the speaker. We've found that microfiber cloth tends to work the best.
If it's not dirt, then head over to settings and click on general. Now, select the Accessibility option. Scroll over to the hearing section and look for the slider with left/right options. If the circular toggle is displaced to the side, then move it to the middle. This will even the Audio between the earbuds.
What to do if my AirPods sound soft while connected to an Android Phone?
Although we've extensively covered AirPods and iPhone users, we do have solutions for Android users that are facing similar issues with their AirPods. Unfortunately, the solutions aren't as varied as the above list.
When you face sound issues with your AirPods, they can start by cleaning the AirPods and then re-pairing it with your Android device. And if it still doesn't work, then you can try following these steps:
- Head to the settings and click on connections
- Next head to the Bluetooth section and select it.
- Now, tap the three dots on the top right hand corner for more options.
- You'll find a Media Volume Sync option.
- Turn this setting on and check is the volume is back on track.
For other Android devices, you can start by turning the volume up or down and head to volume settings from the volume bar and adjust the Bluetooth volume settings. Of course, this is not the only solution to the problem.
You can always try updating the firmware of both the AirPod and the Android device and see if that helps. If not, then you'll have to head to the Apple Service Center.
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