Why Are My AirPods So Quiet?

If your AirPods have become very quiet and you’re unable to hear your favorite song playing on it or can’t make out what your favorite TV show’s characters are saying, you don’t need to worry.

Even though AirPods don’t come with physical volume control, troubleshooting them is easy. So if you’re wondering why your AirPods are so quiet, this article includes all you need to know.

Why Your AirPods Are Quiet

From dirt build-up to hardware damage, there can be many reasons for your AirPods becoming quiet. Here are the most common reasons and how you can fix them:

Reason #1: Low Volume

AirPods themselves don’t have any volume control, so their volume depends on their connected device, like your phone. And if they’re too quiet, it might be because your phone’s volume is low. This problem does seem obvious, but many people tend to overlook it.

To fix this problem, just increase your phone’s volume.

Reason #2: Dirt Build-Up

One of the most common reasons for your AirPods becoming quiet is the build-up of gunk, dirt, earwax, and dirt. These physical obstructions block sound, making it seem as if your AirPods are malfunctioning.

And to fix this problem, you just need to clean your earbuds. You can use a Q-tip or a microfiber cloth for this purpose. In particular, check the corners since dirt and gunk start building up from there. 

Reason #3: Low Battery

If your AirPods are about to die, they can lose signal from the connected device, making them seem quieter. Plus, AirPods don’t function that well on a low battery, so you can expect poor performance.

So if your earbuds are quiet, check their battery level on the connected device. You can also tell if they’re low on battery, if you have a spotty connection or if one of your AirPods keeps switching off and on.  

To fix this problem, just recharge your AirPods.

Reason #4: Unbalanced Earbud Volume

Your AirPods can appear very quiet if the volume in both earpieces isn’t balanced. Apple users can control the volume of external devices, so they can set the volume of one bud higher than the other, making it seem that the overall sound is too quiet.

Even if you don’t remember changing the settings, you might have done so accidentally while playing around with your phone. But don’t worry, you can quickly fix it with the following steps:   

1. Go to Settings and then to Accessibility.
2. Tap on Hearing and then Audio/Visual.
3. Under Balance, you’ll see a bar. Slide the notch exactly to the middle of the bar to balance the sound in both earpieces.

Reason #5: Out-of-Sync Volume

In some cases, your phone and your AirPods can go out of sync because of connection or software. So even if your iPhone is on full volume, your earbuds might be quiet.  

While this problem hardly occurs, there’s no harm in checking if your AirPods are calibrated or not if they are too quiet. And if they are out of sync, you just need to recalibrate by following these steps:

1. Connect your AirPods to your device and then put them in.
2. Play some audio and then turn down the volume to zero.
3. Now, turn off the Bluetooth but continue playing the audio on your device.
4. Turn down the device’s volume to zero, too, and switch your Bluetooth back on to connect the two devices.
5. Your AirPods should function normally now. If they don’t, continue repeating these steps until the volume level is back to normal.

Reason #6: “Reduce Loud Sounds” is on

Apple has a Reduce Loud Sounds feature that automatically maintains the volume at a particular level so that it doesn’t get too high. So, for instance, if you’re in a very loud environment and have this feature on, you might find your AirPods too quiet.

To fix this, you can just turn off this feature. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings & then Sound & Haptics (or just Sounds, depending on your model).
2. Then go to Headphone Safety.
3. Toggle off the switch that you see in front of the Reduce Loud Sounds feature.

Reason #7: Connection Problems

Bluetooth connection glitches caused by connection interference, software bugs, and out-of-range devices can also make your AirPods appear very quiet.

To ensure you don’t experience these problems, keep your device close to your AirPods. Sometimes, outdated software can also cause these audio issues. If you still find the volume of your AirPods low, try unpairing and repairing them. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings and then Bluetooth.
2. Next to your AirPods, you will find the information icon. Tap on that and then on “Forget This Device.“
3. Switch off your Bluetooth once and then turn it on.
4. Once you see your AirPods in the “Available Devices” section, select them and tap on “Connect.”
5. Your volume problem should be fixed now.

Summary

You now know why your AirPods are so quiet and how you can fix those issues. In most cases, it is usually a connection issue, and simply unpairing and repairing your AirPods should work. If not, you can try out the other fixes mentioned above. All of them are easy and don’t take much time, so you can fix this problem without any hassle!

Frequently Asked Questions