As an owner of Apple AirPods, I have often found myself frustrated by their low volume levels. After doing some research and testing, I’ve come to understand why my AirPods are so quiet and I’m here to share what I’ve learned. In this blog post, I’ll discuss the various reasons why my AirPods may be so quiet and share some tips and tricks to increase their volume levels. With the help of this post, you’ll be able to get the most out of your AirPods and maximize their sound quality.
Likely reasons why your AirPods seem quiet are that they are dirty, need to be reconnected to your device, you have a volume limit on your device, your device is in low power mode or your AirPods are faulty.
| Quick Tips |
|---|
| Possible reasons for quiet AirPods include dirt buildup, needing to be reconnected, volume limit on device, low power mode, or faulty AirPods. |
| Reset your AirPods to fix the issue. |
| Check if there is a volume limit set in your device’s settings, clean your AirPods, check if the ear tips are dirty or clogged, update the software in your AirPods, and check if the AirPods are faulty. |
| Ensure you are using an ear tip that is large enough with your AirPod Pros. |
Table of Contents
Why are my AirPods so quiet?
If your device will not go all the way to full volume while you have AirPods connected, the most likely reason is that you have a volume limit set in your device’s settings or you have the volume turned down on the website or app you are using.
The first thing to do would be to try connecting a different set of earphones with your device and to see if they also will not go to full volume.
If they also do not go to full volume, you know the issue is actually with the device and not the AirPods.
If that is not the case though, here are some other potential causes:
Read more: Why aren’t my AirPods playing at full volume?
Need to reconnect the AirPods
It could be the case that something has caused the connection with your device to be faulty. It would help to try reconnecting your AirPods to your device.
To reset and reconnect your AirPods, do the following:
- Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
- Put your AirPods in the case
- Press the button on the case for 15 seconds until the light flashes amber then white
- Wait 30 seconds
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your device
If you are using an iPhone, other users who have faced this issue have had success by doing the following:
- While music is playing, turn the volume down to zero.
- Disconnect your AirPods from your iPhone’s Bluetooth (Without forgetting them)
- Play music from the iPhone and turn the volume down to zero
- Reconnect your AirPods and it should be working like normal.
iPhone is on low power mode
Read more: Does AirPods noise canceling work without music?
Even though the AirPods do not use up the iPhone’s battery, when the iPhone is on low power mode, it can cause the AirPods volume to be lowered.
Dirty AirPods
It might also be the case that your AirPods are dirty. This would be more likely if your AirPods have gradually become quieter and you have not cleaned them in a while. You can clean them by rubbing the speaker grills using a cotton swab. People also have success by literally sucking on the speaker grills, using your mouth, like a vacuum would.
Dirty ear tips
It could also be the case that the ear tips themselves are dirty or clogged in some way.
Broken AirPods
It might be the case that your AirPods are faulty. This would be more likely if your AirPods will not go to max volume regardless of the device you are using. In this case, it would help to take your AirPods to an Apple store and to see if they can fix or replace the AirPods.
It would be more likely that they are faulty if only one AirPod does not go to full volume.
Need a software update
AirPods do receive software updates and it could be the case that your AirPods need an update. To update your AirPods, you need to put them in the charging case, connect the charging case to a power source and move your Apple device (iPhone, iPad or MacBook) near to your AirPods.
To check the firmware version in your AirPods go “Settings” -> “General” -> “About” -> “AirPods” and you should see the firmware version there.
A volume limit on your device
As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have put a volume limit on your device. It would help to find out how to see if you have a volume limit for your particular device and to change it.
To fix this on iPhone, do the following:
- Settings
- Sounds and Haptics
- Headphone safety
- Turn off reduce loud sounds
Why are my AirPods so quiet on Mac?
If your AirPods are specifically quiet on Mac, it could be because you need to reconnect your AirPods, your AirPods have a bad connection with your Mac or the specific app or website you are using has a volume limit set in place.
If your AirPods do not go to a high volume regardless of the device, the cause could also be due to being dirty, being faulty or needing a software update.
Why are my AirPods so quiet on iPad?
If your AirPods are specifically quiet on iPad, you might need to reconnect them to your iPad, to reconnect them while playing music as explained above, or your iPad might be on low power mode.
Why are my AirPods so quiet on Android?
The most likely reason why your AirPods are quiet on Android is that you need to enable “Disable absolute volume” as explained here.
If your AirPods are specifically quiet on Android, it could be due to needing to be reconnected, a volume limit on your phone, low power mode, or a limit on the specific app you are using.
Why are my AirPods so quiet on full volume?
If your AirPods are quiet even when on full volume, it might be due to being dirty, needing to be reconnected, needing to be updated, a volume limit on your device, low power mode on your device, faulty AirPods or a limit in the app you are using.
Why are my AirPods so quiet on calls?
If you’re AirPod’s mic is quiet on calls, it could be due to a dirty mic, a broken mic, not being connected properly or a number of other causes that I have explained in a lot more detail here.
If the sound coming into your AirPods is quiet on calls, it could be because you actually need to switch to the internal mic since a number of users have found that they have had to switch to the internal mic on calls or FaceTime in order to get their AirPods to work properly.
I have explained a lot more about why your AirPods might be quiet on calls here.
Why are my AirPods quieter than usual?
If your AirPods have suddenly become quieter than usual, it could be due to being dirty, a poor connection, damage to the AirPods, a volume limit or switching your device to low power mode.
Why are my AirPod pros so quiet?
Your AirPod pros might be quiet for any of the reasons mentioned above. However, it could also be the case that you are using an ear tip that is too small.
It would help to make sure that you are using a large enough ear tip with your AirPod pros. Otherwise, it can make it difficult for them to play at the correct volume.
Why are one of my AirPods quieter than the other?
If one of your AirPods are quieter than the other, it could be due to being faulty or because it is dirty. It would help to try cleaning it and it would also help to try resetting your AirPods and reconnecting them to the device as mentioned above.
Otherwise, you will likely need to take them in to an Apple store to see if they can fix or replace your AirPods.
