Earbud volume stuck low on iPhone + how to fix it
Your earbuds are too quiet when you use them with your iPhone, and you can't turn the volume up enough. How do you fix it?
At a glance:
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1. Set your earbuds' device type to 'Other'
Go to Settings > Bluetooth > set Device Type to "Other." This bypasses the volume limit for this device (your earbuds). -
2. Turn off Headphone Safety
Or turn off the volume limit altogether. Go to: -
3. Why does my iPhone limit my earbud volume?
It's a feature designed to protect your hearing when you use earbuds with your iPhone. -
4. Low earbud volume during calls
The Headphone Safety feature also lowers the volume during calls.
Set your earbuds' device type to 'Other' on iPhone
Go to Settings > Bluetooth > select your earbuds (such as the DunRock Bubble).
Then choose "Other" under Device Type.
This excludes those earbuds from the Headphone Safety settings, so their volume won't be lowered automatically.
Turn off "Headphone Safety"
You can also turn off Headphone Safety altogether. We'll explain how in this step. If your phone is set to English, look for the option called "Headphone Safety."
On your iPhone, go to Settings (the gear icon) > Sounds & Haptics > tap Headphone Safety.
Your phone will no longer lower your volume unexpectedly for safety reasons.
Of course, protecting you and your hearing matters most. But we've noticed that sometimes, however well-intentioned the feature is, your phone gets it wrong and sets the volume far too low. That makes it hard to listen to music and make calls normally.
Why is the volume low?
The reason your earbuds are quiet when connected to your iPhone is the hearing protection feature on your iPhone, called Headphone Safety in English.
You can read all the information from the manufacturer here. In short, the system checks whether your volume is low enough to prevent hearing damage. That's a very good goal, of course. Hearing damage and tinnitus are irreversible, so prevention is better than cure.
At the time of writing, though, we've noticed that the feature still needs improvement. Earbuds outside Apple's ecosystem can end up far too quiet, including during phone calls. We get questions about this, so here's the solution in a help article (FAQ).
We'll keep a close eye on this issue. If a fix becomes available, we'll update this article within a reasonable time.
Low earbud volume during calls (iPhone)
Headphone Safety also affects calls. When you make calls with earbuds connected to your iPhone, your phone may lower the volume so much that you can barely hear the person you're talking to.
To fix this, either set your earbuds' device type to "Other" or turn off the safety settings to regain control of your earbud volume.
