How do I control the volume of each app on my Android phone?

Having to adjust the volume when switching between apps is a common annoyance for Android users. Some apps play very loudly or quietly compared to others, which requires you to constantly turn the volume up and down. This can disrupt your experience and be frustrating if you regularly use apps with different volume levels.

It’s especially problematic at night or in public when you don’t want to be bothered with big volume swings every time you open an app. The main culprits are media apps like Spotify and YouTube that have much louder audio than social media or web browsing apps.

Although Android does not have system-wide app volume controls like on iPhone, there are ways to manage the volumes of individual apps on your device. This guide will go over your options, from adjusting media volumes to installing a volume equalizer app.

Check Volume Settings

The first place to check is your overall device volume settings. Go to Settings > Sounds to see the volume controls for media, alarms, and ringtones. You can drag the sliders for each option to adjust the volumes. The ‘Media volume’ controls the system volume for music, videos, games, and other media. Make sure this is turned up high enough if you want to increase app volumes. For more granular control per app, you’ll need to dive into the app-specific volumes covered next.

As noted on Chrome Volume Too Low on Windows 11, Android or Mac, the Android system volume controls might be inadvertently set to a lower setting for some apps. So it’s worth double checking Settings > Sounds to see if any volumes need to be turned up.

App Volume Controls

Each individual app on Android has its own volume control settings that can be adjusted. This allows you to control the volume level for each app separately. To adjust an app’s volume settings:

1. Open the app you want to adjust the volume for.
2. Go to its settings menu, usually accessed by tapping the 3 dots or menu icon in the top corner.
3. Look for a setting such as “App settings,” “Advanced,” or “Audio settings.”
4. Find the volume or audio controls. There should be a slider to control the app’s media volume.
5. Drag the slider left or right to lower or raise the volume to your preferred level.

Now when you open that app, its volume will be at the customized setting you chose. You can repeat these steps for any apps you want to control individually.

Some apps may not have adjustable volume controls in their settings. But most major apps like Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, etc. will have this option. Adjusting each app’s internal volume controls is the simplest way to control the volume of individual apps on Android.

Use Volume Buttons

The simplest way to control the volume of an individual app on Android is by using your device’s physical volume buttons. When an app is open and in focus, pressing the volume up or down buttons will directly increase or decrease the volume for just that app.

For example, if you have a music app open, using the volume buttons will change the music volume. Then if you open a video app, the volume buttons will now control the video volume instead. This allows you to quickly adjust the sound level of whatever app you are currently using.

The volume buttons generally control the “media” volume by default, which applies to music, videos, games, and other media apps. This keeps the volume of alerts and notifications constant while you change the volume of your media.

So in summary, the volume buttons provide a simple, convenient way to control each app’s volume independently without having to go into your phone’s settings.

Adjust Media Volume

You can control the volume level of media playback compared to notification sounds on your Android phone. Android allows you to set media volume, like music or videos, at a different level than notification volume.

To adjust media volume specifically:

1. Open the Settings app and go to Sound.

2. Under Volume, you will see separate sliders for Media volume, Call volume, Ring & notification volume, and Alarm volume.

3. Drag the Media volume slider to the left to lower volume or right to increase it.

Setting media volume lower than other volumes allows notifications to stay audible while media plays softly in background. You can customize levels for your preferences.

Use Do Not Disturb

One way to control the volume of individual apps on Android is to use Do Not Disturb mode. This allows you to silence notifications and alerts from specific apps or all apps on your device. According to the Google Support page, here’s how to use Do Not Disturb to silence apps:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Tap Sound and then Do Not Disturb.
3. Under “What can interrupt Do Not Disturb,” choose what to block or allow. You can select People, Apps, Messages, Calls, or Alarms only.
4. Tap on Apps. Here you can choose which individual apps to silence.
5. Toggle on the apps you want to silence. These apps will not produce sound when Do Not Disturb is active.
6. You can also tap “Hide visual disturbances” to block banners and notifications from muted apps.

With Do Not Disturb enabled, you’ll have granular control over which apps make noise and which stay silent. This is useful for muting distracting apps during events, meetings, classes, or any time you want to focus.

Get Volume Equalizer

The best app I’ve found for individual volume control on Android is Volume Control. This handy app lets you set the volume level for each app separately, so you can customize audio levels based on your preferences.

Volume Control creates an overlay interface you can quickly access to change volumes. There are also options to exempt system and ringtone volumes. You can even automate rules, like setting apps to mute during certain times or locations.

Volume Control works well and has a simple intuitive interface. It’s free to download with optional in-app purchases for advanced features. Many users rate it as the best Android app for granular control over app volumes.

So if you want to customize audio and avoid blaring apps disrupting you, Volume Control is the top choice. It delivers a customizable volume equalizer to tame any app noises.

Troubleshooting

Sometimes you may encounter issues controlling the volume on specific apps on your Android device. Here are some common fixes for volume control problems:

Check the app settings – Some apps like YouTube TV and YouTube have their own in-app volume controls. Go into the app’s settings to see if there is a separate volume control.

Restart the phone – Sometimes restarting your Android device can reset any glitches with volume controls. Close out of all apps, power down your phone completely, and restart it.

Check accessibility settings – Android has separate volume controls under Accessibility settings. Make sure nothing is incorrectly adjusted under Accessibility that could affect an app’s volume.

Clear app cache and data – Deleting the app cache and app data for a problematic app can help resolve odd volume behavior. Re-open the app after deleting cache/data.

Check Do Not Disturb settings – If you have hours set for Do Not Disturb mode, this can mute app volumes during those hours. Adjust Do Not Disturb as needed.

Update apps – Make sure you are running the latest version of apps. Developers may have fixed volume control bugs in app updates.

Contact app developer – For consistent issues with one app, you can contact the app developer/support directly to see if it is a known issue on Android.

Automate Volume Control

You can automate volume control on Android to change volume levels automatically for different apps. This allows volumes to be set differently for each app without having to manually adjust them each time.

One way is to use the System App Remover app. This app can remove volume restrictions so volumes can be controlled at a system level for individual apps. You’ll need to grant admin permissions to the app and remove the System UI app.

Another option is an app like Volume Control – Apps Volume. This lets you set custom volume levels for each app that will automatically be applied when you open the app. The app runs in the background to change volumes based on what app is in use.

There are also advanced automation apps like AutoReceiver that allow creating scripts to change volumes in different situations. For example, setting media volume to max when earphones are plugged in.

Automating volume control requires using root or advanced apps but allows volumes to change automatically based on context. This removes the need to manually adjust volume each time you switch apps.

Conclusion

Controlling the volume for individual apps on your Android phone allows you to customize your audio experience. With the built-in volume settings, third party apps, and automation tools, you have several options to independently adjust the volume of music, videos, games, and other media.

In summary, the key options covered include:

• Using your device’s main volume controls to set media volume vs ringtone volume
• Adjusting app volumes in Settings under App volume
• Using volume buttons on your phone or headphones while an app is open
• Installing an equalizer app to finely tune individual app volumes
• Using Do Not Disturb to mute notifications and calls while media is playing
• Automating volume levels based on factors like time of day or app in use

With some experimentation, you can find the right volume balance for each app on your Android. This allows you to seamlessly control audio and focus on enjoying the content.