If you’re an Apple devotee or a tech lover, you must also be a proud owner of a pair of AirPods. Even after spending so much money on your beloved AirPods, it can be incredibly upsetting when they begin to sound quiet.
You may have wondered why your AirPods don’t seem as loud, even when maxed out. Luckily, this issue is likely due to several possible causes and is easily fixable.
In this blog post, we’ll explore why your AirPods sound quieter than expected and provide helpful tips on restoring them to full volume without the hassle of sending them in for repair or replacement!
Related: Why Are My Headphones So Quiet?
Six Reasons For Your Quiet AirPods
Apple AirPods is one of the most popular wireless earbuds on the market, often praised for their sound quality and convenience. Many owners, however, have complained that their AirPods sound too quiet.
If you’re having trouble hearing sound from your AirPods while using them with an iOS device, there are a few simple steps to attempt to fix AirPods.
The most common causes of sound problems are improper settings or low battery level, so troubleshoot sound settings before purchasing any repair.
Some users may have set their volume levels too low, so go into Settings to find the right balance.
If these standard fixes do not help solve your too-quiet AirPods problem, then it’s best to look for other technical issues, some of which are listed below.
The Microphone Might Be Covered Or Blocked
Keeping your AirPods clean and dust-free is essential to maintain the required volume levels. Cleaning out the microphone with a dry cotton swab should do the trick, but consider using a soft bristle brush to make sure all debris is removed if necessary.
Cleaning your AirPods will help you ensure that your AirPods volume is average loud without interruption. Of course, be careful when cleaning so as not to damage them; a gentle touch should do the job!
Keeping your AirPods clean is essential for maintaining consistent volume control, making it easier for you to enjoy loud sounds without any problems.
The AirPods Are Muted
If your AirPods aren’t as loud as they used to be, your iPhone’s settings could be the culprit. To ensure your AirPods are playing sound at the same volume, open audio Settings, navigate to sound and make sure that your AirPods are selected.
Verify that the mute box is empty and that the maximum volume is set on both sliders. If one of your AirPods seems quieter than the other, the balance slider should be back in its middle position.
Additionally, if the issue only happens with a specific type of media—such as music or video call programs like FaceTime—then check those apps’ volume settings too.
Low Volume On The Device
Using the volume slider is a great way to ensure that you maintain comfortable sound levels for everyone when you suspect that the AirPods sound quieter.
It’s easy to use, whether directly from the settings of your iOS device or via a separate app such as Apple Music. All you need to do is increase or decrease the sound level to your preference in the iPhone settings.
By using the volume slider, you can quickly and easily adjust the volume on your mobile device.
Noise-cancelling Feature is Turned On
AirPods have a noise-canceling feature that many people find incredibly useful, but it can cause the AirPods to be quieter than expected.
You can quickly fix this by turning off the noise-canceling feature and adjusting the AirPods volume control in your phone’s settings. It will help ensure that your AirPods are at maximum volume limit when playing music or taking phone calls.
Another thing that helps is a sound check on your AirPods to ensure they’re working correctly and outsourcing audio properly.
Volume Limit Is Set To A Low Level
A custom audio setup on an iPhone or iPad can be convenient, but it may cause some issues. Double-checking your music settings may be the solution if your AirPods volume is low.
Once you take these steps and turn up the volume, you should find that your AirPods sound louder than before.
There’s An Issue With The Bluetooth Synchronization
If your AirPods are quieter than before, the Bluetooth connection could be an issue. Check and ensure Bluetooth settings are on and there isn’t a volume limit set.
Double-check the iPhone’s Bluetooth settings – they can be found in the Bluetooth icon in the settings app. Sometimes Bluetooth settings need to be reset to function fully, so if all else fails, try resetting it on both devices as a potential fix.
Low Power Mode
When your device is in low-power mode due to very low battery, it can disable certain features, such as Bluetooth connectivity. As a result, your AirPods become quiet, and you may need to disable low-power mode to hear them again.
To do so, go into your device’s music app or settings screen and disable the Low Power Mode feature. This should fix the lower volume level of your AirPods back to their original level.
All the tips mentioned above help fix quiet AirPods so you can enjoy the full sound from both of your AirPods with no further issues.
Related: Best Podcast Earbuds
Practical Solutions For Fixing Quiet AirPods
AirPods are a great way to enjoy your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks with optimal sound quality. However, using them can sometimes get relatively quiet, which can be a nuisance.
Fortunately, there are several practical solutions that you can try to fix this problem. First and foremost, you should check the ear tip fit test, as an improper seal can significantly decrease sound quality.
You may also need to adjust the volume control of your AirPods and ensure that the iPhone volume is set to max. Moreover, ensure that both your AirPods and the Bluetooth devices you’re connecting with are up-to-date software-wise for the best possible experience.
Let’s look at some technical solutions to fix the quiet AirPods.
Try Resetting Your AirPods
If your AirPods are experiencing any sound or connectivity issues, resetting the hardware may be the quickest and most effective solution. The AirPods will return to their original default settings through the reset process, providing a much-needed fresh start.
To help you reset AirPods, make sure to follow some easy steps:
- Place the AirPods into their charging case.
- Keep them closed for at least thirty seconds.
- Go to Settings on your Apple device and look for Bluetooth.
- Tap the associated ‘i’ icon adjacent to the AirPods listing before clicking Forget Device twice to disconnect from all logged devices that use the same Apple ID.
- Press the reset button for 15 seconds at the back side of the charging case.
- If done correctly, you should notice a change in the status signal from blinking to amber-white.
- Close the case because your AirPods have been now reset.
Related: AirPod Case Not Charging
Look For Firmware Updates
Updating AirPods is smooth given that they’re connected to an iPhone with a stable internet connection.
The setup button on your AirPod case can be pressed when you want them to reset or re-connect to your device or if you need to restore factory settings. The setup button can also be used to update the firmware on first and second-generation AirPods, although this will not change their AirPod volume and must be done by connecting them to an iOS device.
Firmware updates help ensure that your AirPods receive the latest updates automatically and reliably. However, leave them connected for about 30 minutes without using them.
The Ear Tip Fit Test
The users of AirPods Pro may reduce loud sounds and achieve improved sound isolation using the Ear Tip Fit Test. This test involves:
- Connecting the AirPods Pro to an iOS device.
- Going to Settings.
- Activating Bluetooth.
- Opening the Ear Tip Fit Test.
- Clicking the play option.
The test results will determine if it is necessary to adjust the settings of your AirPods Pro or try another ear tip size to gain the appropriate fit and acoustic seal.
The Ear Tip Fit Test is available for iOS 13.2 only or the advanced version.
Reset Equalizer Settings
Equalizers, or EQs, are handy tools for fine-tuning sound frequency responses. This process ensures that each speaker and headphone listening experience is as realistic and accurate as possible.
To adjust eq settings on an iPhone, go to Settings > Music > tap EQ and select off. Alternatively, you could try a different profile before reverting to “off.”
This adjustment can be used for Apple devices like AirPods Pro or AirPods Max and will help make the sound louder or reset the audio quality entirely if needed.
Check Your iPhone’s Settings
If you’re having volume problems when using AirPods with your iOS device, the solution may be easier than you think.
Start by heading to your iPhone’s Settings application.
Choose Sound & Haptics and then Headphone Safety. Make sure the toggle switch for Reduce Loud Sounds is off.
Additionally, you should check that volume adjustment have been correctly made on other sound settings; for improved volume clarity, the Alert volume and ringtone slider should be set on the right-hand side.
It might also help to adjust accessibility settings too. Head to and tap accessibility, follow up with audio/visual, then double-check that the volume slider is in the mid of L and R.
Finally, select Headphone Accommodations and toggle them on and off again if necessary.
Practical solutions for fixing quiet AirPods focus on examining individual settings and performing general checks. Most issues can be solved by adjusting the lock screen volume settings or listening to audio samples upon resetting the AirPods.
If all else fails, seeking professional help is recommended, as it is likely that a hardware issue or other underlying problem exists.
Related: Fixes For Blinking Orange Light AirPods
What If Nothing Works Despite These Solutions?
When troubleshooting quiet AirPods becomes an issue, many people may not know where to turn. After trying the usual technical solutions such as resetting, cleaning, or updating the software, it can be disappointing not to get hold of the exact problem.
But keep hope – there are still a couple of alternatives you can look into that may help fix the issue.
Evaluate your hearing
Before troubleshooting your device’s repairs, you must ensure that issues are not hearing-related.
To do this, you could try apps such as an online hearing test, increase volume, play music, have someone else listen with their headphones, or get a professional opinion from an ENT specialist.
If everything in these tests checks out and the sounds still don’t come through properly, you can move on to other potential causes, such as sound levels on your device or issues with the headphone hardware.
Contact Apple support
If you need help with your AirPods or need more ideas, Apple Support is always available to help.
You can find help for any device on their website; select the product and the issue you’re having from their list. If solutions are not apparent, Apple Support provides several methods to contact them online, such as initiating a chat or making a call if needed.
Additional options may involve visiting an Apple-authorized store or using their mail-in service. No matter what, Apple Support is available and happy to help with any tech issues, so don’t hesitate to use them whenever necessary!
Conclusion
Despite their small size, AirPods can produce excellent sound quality. However, several factors can cause them to appear quiet.
One of these is dust caught in the speaker mesh, which muffles the sound. Additionally, background noise and external speakers can affect how your AirPods audio is processed.
After considering the available options, it is clear that volume issues with AirPods can be effectively remedied by adjusting the volume buttons on both the AirPods and the connected device, unplugging the headphones and reinserting them, and making sure to update your device and AirPods to their latest version.
For more AirPods troubleshooting guide, check out our post, “AirPods Keep Disconnecting.”
