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Why aren’t my AirPods playing at full volume?

As an AirPods owner, I was frustrated to find that my AirPods weren’t playing at full volume. I knew that there had to be a way to get them to their full potential, so I did some research and testing to find out the answer. In this blog post, I will share how I solved this problem and other potential solutions that I discovered along the way.

The most likely reason why your AirPods won’t play at full volume is that you have a volume limit set in your device’s settings. It could also be due to low battery, being battery saving mode, broken AirPods, dirty AirPods or a bad connection.

Key takeaways and tips
A volume limit in device settings may be causing low volume
Reconnecting, cleaning, updating, disabling low power mode
Limit full volume use to prevent hearing damage
Only one AirPod not going to full volume could be faulty

Why won’t my AirPods go to full volume?

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.

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:

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:

  1. Forget the AirPods on the device you are using
  2. Put your AirPods in the case
  3. Press the button on the case for 15 seconds
  4. Wait 30 seconds
  5. Open the lid and hold the button on the case
  6. 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:

  1. While music is playing, turn the volume down to zero.
  2. Disconnect your AirPods from your iPhone’s Bluetooth (Without forgetting them)
  3. Play music from the iPhone and turn the volume down to zero
  4. Reconnect your AirPods and it should be working like normal.

Dirty AirPods

Read more: can you charge AirPods through a computer?

It could 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. It would help to try cleaning your AirPods and to see if that solves the issue.

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.

Broken AirPods

Read more: Why are my AirPods so quiet?

It could 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 might 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.

Low power mode

If your phone is in low power mode, it can also result in your AirPods not being able to go to full volume. In this case, it would help to try to charge your device and to take it out of low power mode.

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:

  1. Settings
  2. Sounds and Haptics
  3. Headphone safety
  4. Turn off reduce loud sounds

Why are my AirPods so quiet at full volume?

If your AirPods are quiet at full volume, it might be due to the AirPods being dirty, your device is in low power mode, you need to reconnect your AirPods, your AirPods are on low battery, a volume limit on your device or you have faulty AirPods.

Just as a notice, it is actually recommended that you limit how often you put your AirPods at full volume because it can damage your hearing.

AirPods
AirPods

Why won’t my AirPods pro go to full volume?

If your AirPod Pros won’t go to full volume, it could also be due to being dirty, low power mode, a volume limit, needing to reconnect them, low battery or being faulty.

It would be more likely that they are faulty if only one AirPod does not go to full volume.

How to make my AirPods louder?

To make your AirPods louder, try the following:

  • Reconnect them to your device as explained above
  • Clean them
  • Update them as explained above
  • See if there is a volume limit on your device
  • Take your device out of low power mode

Pros & Cons of playing AirPods at full volume

Pros:

  • Can enjoy music/audio at a higher quality
  • Can enjoy a more immersive listening experience
  • Can hear music/audio better in noisy environments

Cons:

  • Can be permanently damaging to hearing if used for prolonged periods of time
  • Can be uncomfortable
  • Can cause distraction