How do I stop my Android from automatically turning the volume down?

What Causes the Volume to Automatically Decrease?

There are a few common causes for why the volume on your Android device may be automatically decreasing:

Adaptive Sound Control

Many Android devices have an “Adaptive Sound Control” feature that automatically adjusts the volume based on factors like your location and movement. For example, it may lower the volume when you are stationary or turn it up in noisy environments. To disable this, go to Sounds and Vibration settings and turn off “Adapt Sound” [1].

Battery Optimization

Android can automatically restrict background apps to save battery life. This sometimes impacts audio apps and causes the volume to decrease. Go to Battery settings and remove audio apps from battery optimization.

App Settings

Some individual apps like Spotify have separate volume limiters. Check in-app audio settings to disable volume caps specific to particular apps.

Disable Adaptive Sound

One potential reason your phone is automatically decreasing the volume over time is due to the Adaptive Sound feature.

Here’s how to turn this feature off:

Open the Settings app on your Android phone
Tap Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb
Turn off the toggle switch for “Adaptive Sound” or “Volume limit”

Disabling Adaptive Sound prevents your phone from automatically lowering the volume over time based on your usage history. It will keep the volume at a consistent level instead.

After disabling Adaptive Sound, check if the volume still decreases on its own in the apps you use. If the issue persists, some other factor is likely causing it.

Exclude Apps from Battery Optimization

Another setting that can automatically decrease volume on Android devices is battery optimization. Android tries to extend battery life by restricting background activity for apps. This can sometimes interfere with an app’s audio functionality.

To exclude apps from battery optimization:

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Tap Battery or Battery Optimization

Tap All Apps
Find the app(s) whose volume you want to stop decreasing. Tap the app and set it to “Don’t Optimize”.

By excluding the problematic app from battery optimization, Android will no longer restrict its background activity which should prevent any volume interfering issues.

Adjust App Volume Settings

Many streaming and media apps offer their own in-app volume controls which override the system volume. Open the specific app and check for individual volume sliders, options, or settings. For example:

Open Spotify, go to Settings and look for Volume Normalization or Volume Level options.
YouTube has a volume slider within the video player.

Netflix offers an audio settings section in the app with various options to control volume.

Experiment with turning off any audio enhancers, loudness equalization, or adaptive volume in the apps themselves. This may prevent system-level interference that automatically decreases volume against your preferences.

Check Wired Headphone Settings

If you notice the volume decreasing when using wired headphones connected to your Android device’s headphone jack, the issue may be with the headphones themselves rather than a software setting on your phone.

First, try using a different pair of headphones to see if the volume still decreases automatically. If a new pair of headphones does not have this issue, then your original headphones may have a defect.

You should also visually inspect the headphone jack on your Android device. Look for any debris, dust or damage that could be interfering with the headphone connection. Use a canned-air duster to spray out any dust, or a non-conductive pick to carefully remove any debris from the jack.

If the volume issue persists after trying different headphones and inspecting your device’s headphone jack, then the cause is likely a software setting rather than a hardware issue.

Update Android Software

Keeping your Android phone’s system software up to date is another way you can prevent the volume from automatically decreasing. Here’s how to update your Android version:

Open the Settings app on your Android phone or tablet. Tap on System or System Update depending on your device.

Check if there are any available system software updates. If an update is available, tap Download and Install to update your Android version to the latest release.

Updating to the latest Android software can fix bugs and issues that may be causing problems like inconsistent volume levels. The updates also improve performance and stability over time. So staying on top of Android updates is good device maintenance that can prevent problems like auto-lowering volume.

Reset App Preferences

If other troubleshooting steps haven’t resolved your issue with volume decreasing automatically, you can try resetting app preferences:

Open the Settings app on your Android device. Tap on “Apps” or “See all apps”. This will show you a list of apps installed on your device.

Find the option to “Reset app preferences” and tap on it. This will reset all preferences for apps on your device back to their default settings.

After resetting app preferences, check if the automatic volume decrease issue is resolved. Resetting preferences erases any customizations made to apps, so you may need to reconfigure some settings afterwards.

Restart Your Device

Restarting your phone can clear out system memory and remove glitches that may cause issues like automatic volume changes. To restart your Android device:

Press and hold the power button for a few seconds until a prompt appears.
Tap “Restart” to restart your phone.
Allow your phone to shut down and restart.

Once your Android reboots, check if the volume still decreases randomly. Restarting the device can often clear minor software bugs that cause annoying problems like unexpected volume changes.

Factory Reset as Last Resort

As a last resort, you can perform a factory reset on your Android phone. This will wipe all data from your device and restore it to factory settings. Be sure to backup any important data, photos, videos, etc. before resetting your phone.

To factory reset your Android device:

Open the Settings app.
Tap into System settings or scroll down and tap on the Reset options.
Tap Erase all data (factory reset).

Follow the prompts to confirm and reset your device.

Once your phone has finished rebooting, it should be restored to original factory settings, which may resolve any software issues causing the volume problems.

Factory reset erases all data, so only use it if nothing else has worked. Make sure to fully backup your device first.

Contact Customer Support

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and solutions listed above without success, you may need to contact your device manufacturer’s customer support for additional help:

Call your phone manufacturer’s customer support line to speak with a representative. They can further diagnose your issue and provide tailored solutions.
Visit your device manufacturer’s support website. Search for your specific model and issue for more troubleshooting steps from product experts.

Schedule an appointment at one of the manufacturer’s authorized repair centers. A technician can inspect your phone and repair any faulty hardware related to the volume issue.