How do I adjust media volume on Android?

Android is the dominant mobile operating system worldwide, with over 70% market share as of 2023 according to Android Market Share: The Fight for Mobile Leadership. With so many people using Android devices, adjusting media volume is a common task users need to do.

This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to adjust media volume on Android devices. It will cover using volume buttons, changing volume in individual apps, using Do Not Disturb mode, adjusting alarm volume, using a volume limiter, and troubleshooting any issues with volume.

By the end, you will understand all the ways to control volume on your Android device to optimize your audio experience.

Check Volume Settings

To view the volume control panel on an Android device, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification shade. Near the top right you’ll see volume sliders for ringtone, media, notifications and alarms. Tap on the icon to open the full volume control panel.

The volume control panel allows you to adjust the volume level for ringtone and notifications, media playback, and alarms separately. Move the sliders left or right to lower or raise the volume. There is also a toggle to switch the phone to vibrate mode.

You’ll also see options for media output. You can choose to have media play through the phone’s speaker, connected Bluetooth devices, or wired headphones. This allows you to control volume levels for different outputs independently.

Use Volume Buttons

One of the easiest ways to adjust media volume on Android is by using the physical volume buttons on your device. Most Android phones have volume buttons located on the side of the phone – there is usually a button to raise volume and lower it.

When you are playing media such as music, videos, or games, pressing these volume buttons will adjust the media volume specifically rather than the overall system volume. Press the upper volume button to increase media volume and the lower button to decrease it source.

The volume buttons allow you to seamlessly control the loudness of your media while it is playing without having to manually adjust the volume slider. Just press the buttons to quickly turn the volume up or down as needed.

This is often the most convenient way to control media volume, especially if your phone is in your pocket or you are on the go. With just a quick press of the volume button, you can adjust audio levels for your music, videos, games, and other media.

Adjust Volume in Individual Apps

Starting in Android 10, Google introduced volume adjustments per individual app. This allows users to customize the volume level within specific media apps according to their preferences.

To adjust volume within an app on Android:

Open the music, video, or other media app where you want to customize the volume.
Start playing the content and press the volume buttons on your device to bring up the volume slider.
Under the volume slider, you will see the name of the app where you can adjust its individual volume.

Drag the volume slider to your desired level. This will now be remembered by this app going forward.

If you cannot adjust per-app volume using the volume buttons, you may need to download an app like Sound Assistant to help control media volumes individually.

Use Do Not Disturb

The Do Not Disturb feature on Android allows you to silence notifications and calls while still allowing media playback at the volume you set. This is useful if you want to watch a video or listen to music without being disturbed by calls or alerts.

To enable Do Not Disturb while preserving media volume, open the Quick Settings panel and tap the Do Not Disturb icon. Alternatively, go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Do Not Disturb.

In the Do Not Disturb settings, there is an option to “Allow media volume”. Enable this option. Now when Do Not Disturb is turned on, your media audio will still play at the volume you have set while muting other interruptions.

You can also customize options in Do Not Disturb to allow calls or messages from certain contacts to bypass Do Not Disturb. This gives you more granular control to mute only the interruptions you want while allowing important calls or notifications through even when Do Not Disturb is enabled.

If you find your media volume is unexpectedly muted even though Do Not Disturb is enabled with “Allow media volume” turned on, check your phone’s accessibility settings. There may be an option enabled that limits maximum media volume which overrides the Do Not Disturb settings.

Adjust Alarm Volume

You can set the volume level for your alarms separately from your media volume in Android. Here’s how:

Open the Settings app and tap Sound or Sound & vibration.

Look for the option called Alarm volume or Alarms. Tap on it.
Drag the volume slider to adjust the alarm volume to your desired level.
You can toggle the switch next to Alarm volume to make alarms override the Do Not Disturb mode.

This allows you to set a loud alarm volume even if your media volume or Do Not Disturb mode is enabled. You can set the alarm volume higher than the media volume if needed.

On some Android devices like Samsung, you may need to tap the 3 dots menu in the top right corner of the Sounds and Vibration screen and select Volume to find the separate Alarm volume slider.

So in summary, adjust the Alarm volume slider specifically to control the loudness of your alarms, independent of your ringtone or media volume.

(Source: https://www.slashgear.com/1463433/how-to-change-alarm-volume-android/)

Use Volume Limiter

The volume limiter allows you to restrict the maximum volume level on your Android device. This can be useful for protecting your hearing or preventing the volume from getting too loud in certain situations.

To enable the volume limiter:

Go to Settings > Sound.
Scroll down and tap Volume limiter.
Toggle on Use volume limiter.

Drag the volume limit slider to your desired maximum volume level.

You can also install third party volume limiter apps from the Google Play Store like Volume Limiter. These give you additional options for customizing when and how much to limit volume.

The volume limiter is useful for preventing harmful loud noises and explosions of volume past a defined limit. Enable it if you want to control maximum volume levels.

Check Accessibility Settings

Android has several accessibility features to help users with hearing impairments adjust volume and audio settings. To check your accessibility settings, go to Settings > Accessibility.

There are a few key options here:

Sound Amplifier – boosts audio including media and alarms.

Live Transcribe – generates real-time subtitles for speech.
Live Caption – automatically captions media audio.

You can also customize TalkBack settings, Android’s built-in screen reader, which has its own volume controls. According to Google, you can press the volume keys to change TalkBack volume while touching the screen.

These accessibility features allow you to amplify or transcribe audio independently from the regular media volume.

Troubleshoot Volume Issues

There are a few common troubleshooting solutions to try if you are having volume problems on your Android device:

If you have muted sound, check if the mute switch is toggled on your phone. This switch mutes all sounds if enabled. Toggle it off to restore volume.

If your maximum volume is too low, check if Volume Limiter is enabled. Go to Settings > Sound > Volume and uncheck the box for Volume Limiter to increase max volume.

To fix randomly changing volume, check if Adapt Sound is running in Samsung phones. Go to Settings > Sounds and vibration and disable Adapt Sound.

For bluetooth speakers with no sound, re-pair the headset according to MakeUseOf. Go to Bluetooth settings, select the device, and click on Forget to unpair. Then pair the headset again.

Not hearing sound during calls? Enable the Phone Ringtone under Sound settings. Also try adjusting in-call sound volume from Call settings.

If the above troubleshooting tips failed, try restarting your phone and testing the volume before and after the restart. This often resolves temporary glitches.

Summary

To summarize, here are the key points covered in this article on how to adjust media volume on Android devices:

You can use the physical volume buttons on your device to control the system volume, including media.
Go to Settings > Sound to adjust volume levels for media, alarms, and ringtones. You can also activate Do Not Disturb mode here.
Open individual apps like YouTube and use their in-app sliders to control media volume for that specific app.

Under Settings > Accessibility you can limit the maximum system volume and enable mono audio if needed.
If you’re having issues with volume not working at all, try troubleshooting by checking for dirt/debris in the headphone port, updating software, restarting your device, and checking app permissions.

Adjusting volume on Android devices is straightforward once you know the main areas to check like the volume buttons, Sound settings, and app settings. Reach out if you have any other questions!