How To Make AirPods Louder [Fix Low Volume Problem]

Is your AirPods’ volume low? We use our AirPods to do various tasks – music, audiobooks, podcasts, movies, and more. So, it’s a problem when our AirPods aren’t loud enough to snuff out the background. Unfortunately, Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro volume control can be tricky.

Apple’s AirPods helped launch a thousand imitators – there are now countless wireless earbuds available for both iOS and Android devices in the market. It’s not hard to see why; there’s something very liberating about earbuds that have no cables and no buttons or other controls.

But how do you do something as simple as controlling the volume? Unfortunately, it is not easy for everyone to figure out how to make AirPods louder by adjusting the volume with no physical buttons and dials. So here’s how to make AirPods louder and deal with a common AirPods problem — low volume.

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How to change the volume on AirPods / AirPods 2 / AirPods Pro / AirPods Max

Initially, if your iOS device (iPhone or iPad) is nearby, you can use the volume control on the phone – volume buttons located at the side of the device to affect the volume through the AirPods.

Do one of the following if your AirPods volume is too low and you want to change the AirPods volume while listening to iPhone or iPad:

1. Activate Siri on your iOS device, then say somewhat like, Turn up the volume.
2. Use either the volume button located on the side of the iPhone or iPad.
3. Drag the volume slider in an app’s playback controls.
4. Open Control Center, then drag the volume slider up or down.
5. Drag the volume slider on the Lock Screen.
6. For Android devices, enable Media Volume Sync
7. Turn the Digital Crown (Apple AirPods Max).

How to use Siri with AirPods on iPhone

Instead of housing volume controls into the AirPods themselves, Apple has delegated that duty to Siri. You can use Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, with your AirPods to control apps, answer questions, and more. If you aren’t sure how to activate Siri with AirPods on your iPhone or iPad then follow the below guide on how to control the volume of your AirPods using Siri.

With no volume controls on the AirPods, you make them louder using the volume on the iPhone or by telling Siri to change the volume.

How to activate Siri with your voice (Apple AirPods, AirPods 2, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max)

While wearing Apple AirPods in your ears, say “Hey Siri,” then ask Siri a question or to do a task for you. For example, say something like “Hey Siri, what’s the temperature today?” or “Hey Siri, play some romantic music.”

Note: If you haven’t set up “Hey Siri” on your iOS device, then go to Settings> Siri & Search, then turn on Listen for “Hey Siri.”

How to activate Siri with a double-tap on AirPods 1st Generation

1. Double-tap either of your Apple AirPods.
2. Wait for a chime, then make your query.

Note: By default, a double-tap on either of your AirPods activates Siri, but you can change this behavior in Settings. See Personalize audio settings.

How to activate Siri with the Force Sensor or by double-tapping on AirPods Pro & AirPods 2nd Generation

You can set Apple AirPods Pro to activate Siri by pressing and holding the Force Sensor on the stem of an AirPod, for a while, and you can set your AirPods (2nd generation) to activate Siri by double-tapping one of your AirPods.

1. Wear your Apple AirPods and make sure they’re connected to your iOS device.
2. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
   
3. In the list of devices, tap the information “i” button and the Actions Available button next to your AirPods.Select Left or Right.
4. Now choose Siri.
   

How to activate Siri with the Digital Crown on AirPods Max (3rd Generation)

1. Press and hold the Digital Crown button.
2. Wait for a chime.
3. Then make your request to Siri.

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How to open Control Center on iPhone or iPad

• On iPhone or iPad with Face ID: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
• On iPhone or iPad with a Home button: Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.

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How To Control AirPods Volume on Apple Watch: Make Your AirPods, AirPods 2 & AirPods Pro Louder & Lower Volume

If you are listening to music on your iPhone or iPad paired with your Apple Watch or listening to music directly from your Apple Watch, it’s also possible to change the AirPods’ volume on your Apple Watch.

1. From the Home screen, tap the Now Playing icon to go to the Now Playing screen.
2. Once this screen appears, you’ll see a small volume icon.
3. Now, when you turn the Digital Crown, a green volume indicator will appear.

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How To Make AirPods Louder on Mac & How to Lower Volume on AirPods from a Mac

Suppose you’re using Apple AirPods connected to your iMac or MacBook. In that case, you can change the AirPods’ volume by using the volume keys on your keyboard or by clicking the volume icon in the Menu Bar and clicking and dragging the volume slider up or down.

If there is no volume button in your Menu Bar, you can enable it in System Preferences.

1. Click the Apple on your computer’s Menu Bar, then click System Preferences.
2. Click Sound.
3. Click Output, then click the AirPods your Mac is connected within the list that appears.
4. At the bottom of this window, below the volume bar, click the box next to Show volume in the menu bar.
5. That’s it.

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Still Your AirPods Volume Too Low? Here’s How To Make AirPods Louder

If your Apple AirPods aren’t loud enough to suit you, then there are some tricks you can try to coax extra volume out of them – this is especially true if they were once louder, but more recently, it looks like they have gotten lower.

• Clean your AirPods.
• Calibrate the AirPods with your iPhone.
• Check the Music app’s sound settings.
• Make sure both ears are the same volume.
• Disable Low Power Mode
• Reset the AirPods

Clean Your AirPods

An unhappy fact of life is that human ears are waxy, and anything you regularly put in your ears, like wireless earbuds, tends to accumulate earwax. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much wax to reduce the maximum volume of the Apple AirPods.

When you clean your AirPods, it’s crucial not to use anything wet – never get the mesh speakers wet. Also, please don’t poke the speaker mesh with a toothpick or similarly sharp tool that could damage it.

As a substitute, use a dry cotton swab or a soft-bristled toothbrush to remove any wax or other debris from the AirPods speaker mesh.

READ | How To Clean iPhone Charging Port

Calibrate AirPods With Your iPhone or iPad

It’s possible that your Apple AirPods and iOS device (iPhone or iPad) need calibrating – the two devices might have different understandings of what “full volume” means. So, the AirPods stop using the full range of audio available. That may sound not very easy, but it’s pretty easy to fix.

1. Put the AirPods in your ears and start playing music.
2. Using the volume buttons on the iPhone/iPad, turn the iPhone’s volume down. You shouldn’t hear anything in the AirPods now.
3. Swipe down from the top right of the iPhone to display the Control Panel and tap the Bluetooth button to disable Bluetooth. Leave the AirPods in your ears.
4. Now, start playing music again, this time through the iPhone’s own speakers. Using the iPhone’s volume buttons, turn the volume all the way down.
5. Reconnect the AirPods. Pull down the Control Panel and tap Bluetooth to turn it back on. You might also need to open the Settings app, tap “Bluetooth,” and tap “AirPods” to reconnect them.
6. Play the music again, adjusting the volume as needed.

Check Music App’s Sound Settings

If your AirPods are too quiet, mainly when listening to music using the Music app, its settings might be misconfigured. You can fix that with just a couple of taps.

1. Start the Settings app on your phone.
2. Tap Music.
3. Make sure that EQ is set to Off. If it’s turned on, tap EQ and then tap Off.

Staying on the Music setting screen, make sure that Volume Limit is also set to Off. If it is on, tap Volume Limit and slide the volume all the way to the right. It will turn it off.

Make Sure Both Ears Are Same Volume.

If one ear consistently sounds louder than the other, accessibility settings on the iPhone or iPad might be suppressing the volume in one ear. Here’s how to check and fix it:

1. Start the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and then tap Accessibility.
3. In the Hearing section, tap on Audio/Visuals. 
4. Under Balance settings, Make sure that the left/right slider is balanced with the button in the middle. If it’s slid to the right or left, slide it back to the center.

Disable Low Power Mode

Another reason why your Apple AirPods may not be loud enough is because of your low battery level or the iPhone’s Low Power Mode. During Low Power Mode, your iPhone/iPad might purposely lower the volume to save up battery, especially if you’re running low already.

If you want to burn your phone’s last few drops of fuel on listening to audio at full volume, you can turn off the Low Power Mode by pulling down the Control Center and tapping the battery icon.

Low Power Mode will be on your Control Center by default. If it isn’t there, simply head on to Settings > Control Center, and then click the + plus sign beside Low Power Mode.

Reset the AirPods | Fix Most Loudness Problems With AirPods

When all else fails, reset the AirPods. Doing this is one of the proven laws in troubleshooting basically any tech gadget or device out there today, including your Apple AirPods. It allows the AirPods and your iPhone/iPad to restart their connection and get off on the right foot.

Resetting your AirPods and AirPods Pro is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is head on to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the “i” button and then tap Forget this Device.

After that, you can reconnect your AirPods like it’s fresh out of the box.

How To Reset Apple AirPods Max?

On the other hand, resetting the AirPods Max is a little different. To reset AirPods Max, you must hold the noise control button and the Digital Crown for about 15 seconds. After this, you can connect them the same way you connected them when they were first out of their box.

If Everything Fails, Try Apple’s Online Support

If nothing works for you, as the last option, you can try out Apple’s online support. To do that, head on to Apple’s official support website, choose AirPods from the grid menu and choose Audio & Sound.

Soft AirPods aren’t listed on the choices of problems you can choose from, so you could go ahead and click “The topic is not listed” and type your inquiry.

Apple may take some time to answer your query, and there is also a chance that they’ll provide you with the explanations we have discussed above.

However, it is still worth taking a shot if you’re really out of choices. You can make this your backup strategy so you can submit your inquiry and explore the resolutions above while waiting for a reply from Apple.

The Bottom Line

That’s pretty much it! Your AirPods are probably fixed by now, and you’re currently listening to your favorite tunes at the full volume level.

The AirPods’ volume issues can be irritating but only for those who may not be familiar with the solutions yet, so be sure to arm yourself with the fix we mentioned above. Then, the next time your AirPods pull the same situation, you’ll know what to do, and you won’t have to worry much anymore.

What worked for you to make your Airpods louder? Did you do anything else outside of the tips on how to make AirPods louder we mentioned above? Please share it with us through the comments!

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