Airpods are the most popular Apple products one can have. Though they work great, they might have issues in operation sometimes. One of the common issues found in Airpods is that they have low volume or become quiet over time.
In this article, we have covered the common reasons why the AirPods are so quiet, and how you can fix it.
Why Are My AirPods So Quiet?
Reason 1: Gunk Built-Up in the AirPods
Gunk build-up is one of the common reasons for AirPods malfunctioning. They block the sound path of the device. Sometimes, earwax can also build up over a period of time, in the AirPods, which you can notice in the holes on the backside.
You can clean the gunk, earwax, dust, etc., with the help of tissue paper or a paper towel. You can also use a soft toothbrush to clean the dirt from your AirPods. Ensure that you do not use any detergent or soap for cleaning, as it can permanently damage the AirPods.
Reason 2: Low Battery Level on AirPods
Once the battery level drops, the AirPods become so quiet. In case you have a low power level (less than 10%), even then, the volume of AirPods drop.
When a low battery mode is turned on, AirPods receive a very low signal from the connected device. So, always look for the battery level of AirPods on your device notification bar.
Depending on the settings of your iPhone, the battery level also appears red. Other common reasons for AirPod’s low battery notification are:
- Poor connectivity.
- Earbuds are turning off on either side.
- The volume level on your AirPods automatically lowers down.
Reason 3: Low Battery Level on Connected Devices
In case you have a device like iPhone or iPad connected to your AirPods, you can see the battery level of AirPods in the notification bar. If the AirPods show a decent amount of charge, but still the volume seems to be low, then we recommend you to check the charging level of the connected device (in this case, iPhone or iPad).
You can fix this issue by following the steps given below:
- Open the ‘Settings’ option on your iPhone.
- Now, go to the ‘Battery’ option and then turn off the ‘Low Power Mode’ option.
Alternatively, you can also connect the AirPods to another device (to check if there is any fault) and then try sliding the volume level up on that device. If the sound works fine when connected to other devices, then it is an issue with your iPhone/iPad.
You can also use voice commands like “Hey Siri..” to turn up the volume on your AirPods.
Reason 4: Volume Limit
In most cases of the devices, there is a pre-defined volume limit that keeps your ears safe from high volume. In most cases, this feature works well, but sometimes you can enjoy the music at high volume without hurting your ears as well.
You can fix this issue by turning off the volume limit on your iPhone:
- Firstly, go to the ‘Settings’ app on your iPhone.
- Now, navigate to the ‘Sounds and Haptic’ option.
- Click on the ‘Headphone safety’ option and turn off the option ‘Reduce loud Sounds.’
Reason 5: Faulty Bluetooth Connection
When you have bad Bluetooth connectivity, you might face issues with the AirPods. To fix this issue, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Firstly, turn down the volume to zero on your AirPods.
- Now, go to the Bluetooth settings on your device and then disconnect the device from AirPods (do not unpair the device).
- Now, play random music on your device and turn down the volume to zero.
- Finally, connect the AirPods to the device and turn up the volume. This should fix the ‘AirPods quiet’ problem.
Reason 6: Volume Not Balanced on AirPods
AirPods go quieter when the volume is not balanced in both the earbuds. All the Apple devices come with an option to control the volume of the external devices. With this option, you can control the volume of the individual buds.
For example, you can set the volume of the right earbuds higher than the left earbuds and vice-versa. However, sometimes the same settings can cause the AirPods to go quieter.
To fix this issue of unbalanced volume settings, follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Go to the ‘Settings’ option on your device.
- Now, click on the ‘Accessibility’ option.
- Tap on the ‘Hearing’ option and navigate to the ‘Audio/visual’ option.
- Now, set the slider to the middle.
This helps in setting a balance of volume on both earbuds.
Reason 7: Update to Latest Software
There might be a software issue on your iPhone, iPad, or laptop. Updating the software can help you fix the issue.
If the connected device itself has some bugs in its software, then the AirPods might go quiet. If you face any issues like AirPods being played only in one earpiece or having a distorted sound, then follow the steps given below to fix it:
- Go to the ‘Settings’ app on your phone.
- Now, navigate to the ‘General’ and then go to the ‘software update’ option.
- See if there are any software updates to be done on the device.
Once you update the software, try to restart the device and then reconnect to the AirPods.
Reason 8: Toggle Equalizer Settings
Most of the equalizer settings done on the iPhone make the AirPods go quieter. Even the equalizer settings named ‘booster’ will tend to turn off the AirPods sound.
Apart from the equalizers, Apple devices also have an inbuilt ‘Soundcheck’ option. It helps to balance out the sound levels for each song so that the ears won’t get affected. However, these settings can sometimes impact the AirPod’s sound settings.
You can fix this issue by turning off the Equalizer or Soundcheck settings.
- Firstly, navigate to the ‘iPhone Settings’ and then go to the ‘Music’ option.
- Now, turn off the ‘Sound Check’ option.
- On the same page, you can find the ‘EQ’ option. Turn it off.
If possible, try to turn off the additional options like ‘Booster’ as well.
Reason 9: Hardware Issues
If your AirPods are having hardware issues, then there is a chance of it going quiet. In case the AirPods have encountered any water or heat damage, then the chances of it functioning properly are low.
In this case, apart from buying a new set of AirPods, there is no other solution to fix it.
Conclusion
Many people have recently noticed that the AirPods are quiet at times. The most common reason for this issue is the build-up of gunk, dirt, or earwax in the AirPods. For this reason, we recommend you clean the AirPods frequently to get the best performance of it.
Also, it is recommended to keep a watch on your phone’s settings. Any change in the sound settings of your phone will impact the performance of the AirPods.
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