How do I lock the volume on my Android for kids?
Many parents want to limit the maximum volume on their child’s Android device for a few important reasons:
Protect their hearing – Listening to audio at high volumes for prolonged periods can damage young ears and lead to noise-induced hearing loss over time. Setting a lower maximum volume protects children’s hearing.
Avoid disruption – Loud sounds and noises from a child’s device can disrupt family activities and disturb others around them. Limiting the volume reduces unnecessary disturbances.
Promote focus – Excessively loud volumes can be distracting and make it hard for kids to concentrate on tasks. A lower volume cap helps promote better focus.
Encourage awareness – Having a set volume limit prompts children to be more conscious of their listening habits and how loud is too loud. It builds awareness around healthy sound levels.
Gain control – Parents simply want to control and monitor their child’s technology use. Volume limits give them greater supervision over devices and media consumption.
Check Android Version
Newer versions of Android have built-in volume limiting features. Determine which version of Android the device is running.
To check the Android version, go to Settings > About Phone. Look for Android Version or Android OS Version. The latest versions like Android 10 and above have a built-in volume limiter called Media Volume Limiter.
If you have Android Oreo or above, you can use the built-in volume limit setting. For older versions of Android, you may need to use third party apps or other workarounds.
[Source1]
Using Volume Limit Setting
For Android versions that support it, enable the built-in volume limiter in Settings. On Android 9 Pie and newer, you can set a maximum volume level for your device’s media playback through the Volume Limit setting.
To use this feature, open your phone’s Settings and go to Sound > Advanced > Volume for media, calls & other audio. Tap on the three dots in the upper right corner, then select Media volume limit. Toggle on the setting, then use the slider below it to set the maximum volume level allowed on your device 1. This will limit the max volume across music, videos, games and other media playback.
The Volume Limit setting creates a hard limit that cannot be exceeded, even if using volume up buttons. This makes it useful for restricting kids’ volume exposure or your own listening levels. Just be aware the setting applies device-wide, not just to specific apps. Some users may want to adjust volume differently across apps.
Setting Up Restricted Profile
One way to lock down the volume on an Android device for kids is to set up a restricted account profile for the child. According to Google Support, you can create restricted profiles on Android that allow you to control app access and phone settings (https://support.google.com/families/answer/1075738?hl=en).
To set up a restricted profile, go to Settings > Users & accounts > Users > Add user. Select “Restricted profile” and follow the prompts to set up the child’s profile. In the restricted profile, you can select which apps the child has access to. You can also restrict things like voice calls, camera access, location sharing and volume control.
The advantage of using a restricted profile is that it creates a separate environment just for the child. You can customize it to limit access to only child-friendly apps and content. Within the restricted profile, the child won’t be able to change any restrictions you’ve set up.
Using Third-Party Apps
If the built-in options in Android are too limited, you can turn to third-party apps for more control over volume settings for kids. One popular app is Kids Place, which creates a separate space on your device just for your child. Kids Place allows you to restrict access to apps, set time limits, and customize audio settings.
To adjust volume within Kids Place, open the app and go to Settings. Here you can set the maximum media volume allowed. This will lock the volume at that percentage every time your child opens Kids Place. You can also disable audio altogether if needed. The app essentially creates a child-friendly sandbox where you have granular control over their experience.
Other parental control apps like Kiddoware and AppDetox provide similar options for locking volume and customizing audio settings just for your kid’s profile.
Adjusting Specific App Volumes
Using a third-party app is a convenient way to control the volume of individual apps on your Android device. An app like Volume Control allows you to set custom volume levels for any app on your phone or tablet.
This can be especially useful for games, media apps, and other programs that play audio separately from your main device volume. For example, you can turn down a noisy game without affecting your music player volume. You can also increase volume for certain apps if needed.
To use Volume Control or a similar app:
- Download and install the volume control app.
- Open the app and it will display all the apps on your device that produce audio.
- Tap on an app and slide the volume slider to your desired level.
- Repeat for other apps as needed.
This provides granular control over app volumes without having to adjust the main volume. It’s useful for kids so you can turn down game volume without affecting media volume. Just be aware that the app needs accessibility privileges, and you’ll have to keep the app open for it to work.
Using Do Not Disturb
One of the easiest ways to limit interruptions on an Android device is to enable Do Not Disturb mode. This allows you to silence sounds and hide visual notifications during specific times when you don’t want to be bothered, like at night when sleeping. Here’s how to use Do Not Disturb on Android:
Open the Settings app and go to Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb. Here you can toggle on Do Not Disturb to enable it. You’ll see options to schedule when DND is on using set time ranges. For example, you can set it to turn on from 10pm to 7am everyday to silence notifications while sleeping [1]. On Android 9 and higher, tap Schedules to customize multiple schedules for when to automatically enable DND.
When Do Not Disturb is on, you won’t hear sounds or feel vibration for incoming calls or alerts. The exceptions are alarms, media sounds, and notifications identified as priority. You can customize which apps can bypass DND in the Settings [2]. This allows you to limit interruptions during set times like bedtime, while still allowing important calls or notifications to come through.
Turning Off Audio
Completely disabling audio for certain apps like games or media players can be a useful temporary option if you need your Android device to be completely silent. This disables all audio playback within the selected apps.
To turn off audio for specific apps on Android:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility.
- Tap Audio & On-Screen Text.
- Enable “Remove app audio”
- Tap on the apps you want to disable audio for.
This will mute any and all audio coming from the selected apps. It essentially overrides any in-app volume controls. Keep in mind this is a device-wide setting that affects the selected apps entirely.
If you only need to mute certain ad sounds or audio cues within an app, but still want regular audio playback, this blanket audio disabling may be overkill. For those cases, exploring app-specific audio settings or third party apps may be better options.
Using Headphones
Having your child use headphones can help isolate the audio and allow them to control the volume while still protecting their hearing (Healthy Hearing, 2022). The key is to find a good quality pair of child-sized headphones that fit properly. Over-the-ear headphones tend to provide better noise isolation compared to earbuds (UC Davis Health, 2023). Look for volume-limiting headphones designed for kids that cap the maximum volume at safe levels for children.
When using headphones, teach your child to keep the volume low enough that they can still hear what’s going on around them. Experts recommend setting the volume no higher than 60% of maximum (RCHSD, 2022). Take breaks from headphone use every 30-60 minutes. Also consider noise-canceling headphones to reduce the temptation to turn up the volume to drown out background noise (RCHSD, 2022). With some guidance and the right gear, headphones can be a safer audio option for kids.
Conclusion
The best options for limiting sound levels on your child’s Android depend on their Android version. For Android versions before Lollipop, you’ll need to use a third-party app like Volume Lock. On Lollipop or later, the built-in Volume Limit setting is the easiest option. For kids using your device in Restricted Profile, you can limit output volume there as well.
But no matter what option you use, it’s crucial to keep sound levels within a safe range for kids. Prolonged exposure to sounds above 85 dB can permanently damage hearing over time. This hearing loss is irreversible, so protecting kids from excessive noise is vital.
Set volume limits on devices, use noise-blocking headphones, and monitor their total daily noise exposure. Together, we can prevent noise-induced hearing loss and keep kids’ hearing healthy.