As an owner of AirPods, I was recently frustrated by their tendency to randomly change the volume. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share how I solved this issue and other solutions that I discovered. In this blog post, I’ll explain why do my AirPods randomly change the volume and how you can prevent it from happening.
Likely reasons why your AirPods randomly change the volume are a bad connection with the device, broken AirPods, they need a software update, or there is a problem with the website or app you are using.
| Key takeaways and tips: |
|---|
| If your AirPods are playing at maximum volume, it could be due to a bad connection, a problem with the website or app, or needing to disable the absolute volume on Android. |
| To limit the maximum volume on iOS, go to Settings > Music > Volume Limit and set a limit. |
| To limit the maximum volume on Android, go to Settings > Sound > Volume and set a limit. |
| If you are using an app that does not have its own volume control, such as YouTube, you can use the system volume control on your device to lower the volume. |
| Be mindful of the volume levels to protect your hearing. |
Table of Contents
Why do my AirPods randomly change the volume?
Below are likely reasons why your AirPods have been randomly changing the volume.
Bad connection
It could just be the case that your AirPods have a bad connection with your device.
This would be more likely if your AirPods only randomly change the volume on a specific device. In this case, it would help to forget and reconnect your AirPods with that device.
- 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 orange then white
- Open the lid and hold the button on the case
- Reconnect your AirPods to your Mac
Problem with website or app
It could also be the case that the issue is with the website or app you are using.
This would be more likely if your AirPods only randomly change the volume when using a specific website or app. In this case, it would help to take a look at the volume settings on that website or app.
Need to disable absolute volume in developer settings
If you are using Android, it might be the case that you need to disable absolute volume in the developer settings.
Go to “Settings” then “About device” or “About phone” then tap “Build Number” seven times. Developer mode is now activated
Now there should be a developer tab on your settings screen where you can disable absolute volume.
Broken AirPods
It could also be the case that your AirPods are broken. This would be more likely if it is happening regardless of the device you are using.
Software update
AirPods do receive software updates. It might be the case that your AirPods need to be updated.
To update your AirPods, you need to put them in the charging case while it is being charged, then put a connected Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) near the AirPods.
Faulty volume button on your device
It might also be the case that the volume button is faulty on the device you are using. This would be more likely if the volume randomly changes even when the AirPods are not connected to it. If you are using the AirPods Pro 2, it could also be the case that the volume sensor is faulty. Resetting them may help with this.
Read more: Why do my AirPods go to max volume?
Why do my AirPods randomly go to max volume?
Likely reasons why your AirPods randomly go to max volume are that they need to be forgotten and reconnected to the device, you need to disable absolute volume on Android (as mentioned above), a problem with the website or app you are using or the AirPods might be broken.
It would be more likely that the AirPods are faulty if they randomly go to max volume regardless of the device you are using them with.
First, if you can’t fix the issue, there is a workaround you can use for both iOS and Android.
Basically, you will set a volume limit on the device so that your AirPods are not able to go too loud and they will at least be usable.
iOS workaround: Settings > Music > Volume Limit where you can limit the max volume
Workaround for Android: Settings -> Sounds -> Volumes where you can limit the max volume.
Read more: How do I increase the volume of AirPods?
How to get my AirPods to stop randomly changing the volume?
First, to limit how loud your AirPods go, you can try the workaround that limits the max volume mentioned above.
Next, it would help to forget and reconnect your AirPods to the device as mentioned above.
It would also help to make sure that their software is up to date as mentioned above.
Finally, if you are unable to get them working or they randomly change the volume regardless of the device they are paired with, it would be likely that you will need to take them to an Apple store.
Why are my AirPods quiet suddenly?
Your AirPods might be going quiet suddenly for any of the same reasons why the volume might be randomly changing.
It would help to ensure that the volume button on your device is not jammed, to reconnect your AirPods, and to update their software. If it is happening regardless of the device, it would be necessary to take them to an Apple store.
