What app can I use to make my speaker louder?
The main goal for users wanting to make their smartphone speakers louder is to increase the audibility and maximize the audio output capacity when listening to music, watching videos, gaming, or taking calls without headphones. Most modern smartphones can play reasonably loud already, but some users enjoy booming volume for enhanced immersion or have hearing limitations that make louder volume necessary.
Fortunately, with the right apps, settings adjustments, accessories, and precautions, it is possible to safely achieve louder volume from a smartphone’s built-in speakers or by connecting external speakers. This guide will cover several methods to boost your phone’s speaker capacity while avoiding potential hardware damage or impacts on long-term hearing health.
Here’s is how smartphone speakers work and produce sound:
How Smartphone Speakers Work
Smartphone speakers generate sound by converting electrical signals into audible sound waves using a component called a transducer. The transducer is mechanically coupled to a diaphragm that vibrates when a current passes through it, producing sound.
Volume on smartphones is controlled both by hardware and software components. The hardware part consists of an amplifier chip that boosts the electrical signal, and a potentiometer acting as a volume knob to control the gain to the amplifier. The software side handles audio processing, compression and limiting before sending the signal to the hardware.
Turning up volume in the software essentially increases the signal amplitude. However, there is a maximum cap on loudness imposed by amplifier hardware limitations and safety standards to protect hearing. So while software controls are the easiest way to make a smartphone speaker louder, there are hardware constraints as well limiting maximum possible volume.
Maxing Out Built-In Volume
Maxing out the built-in volume capability on your smartphone is the first step to boosting speaker loudness. While modern smartphones have decent speakers, their volume output is limited due to safety concerns about hearing damage from loud audio. But you can go through your phone’s settings to turn up the volume to its maximum allowed level.
For iPhone users, open the Settings app and go to Sound & Haptics. Under the Ringer and Alerts section, drag the slider all the way to the right. You can also enable the Change with Buttons option so that hitting the volume up button on the side of your phone goes to maximum volume. For additional customization options, enable Headphone Safety under this same menu in Settings (source).
On Android devices like Samsung phones, go to Settings > Sounds and vibration. Drag the Volume bar all the way to the right. You may also see separate sliders for Ringtone volume, Media volume, Alarm volume, and System volume so max those out as well. Some Android devices have safety limits on maximum loudness so you may not be able to crank it as high as desired.
Downloading a Volume Booster App
A simple and effective way to make your smartphone’s speaker louder is by downloading a volume booster app from your device’s app store. There are several top-rated options like Volume Booster, Volume Master, and Volume Booster GOODEV.
These apps use software optimization to override the built-in volume limits on your smartphone. They improve loudness by up to an additional 100% over max volume, allowing you to better hear audio, music and video. Most of the top options are free to download and easy to set up.
When choosing a volume booster app, it’s important to read user reviews and check for issues with notifications, privacy policies or unwanted promotions. The top-rated apps will clearly state if there are any limitations on free versions. As with any app install, proceed carefully and monitor any changes in device performance over time.
Using Equalizers
An equalizer is an audio setting that allows you to adjust the sound levels at different frequency ranges. Equalizers work by increasing or decreasing volume, or gain, across low, mid and high frequency bands through sliders or knobs.
The most common type of equalizer on a smartphone is a graphical equalizer, which displays the frequency bands as vertical bars. By raising or lowering different bars, you can boost or cut frequencies to achieve a desired sound profile. For example, if you want more powerful bass, you can turn up the lower frequency bands that control low-end sounds.
Equalizers are useful for smartphone speakers because they allow you to customize the frequency response to make music sound clearer, fuller and louder overall. You can target and amplify frequency ranges that smartphone speakers lack, like deep bass or crisp highs. This can make the music more dynamic, balanced and enjoyable.
Many free equalizer apps like Music Volume EQ offer user-friendly graphical equalizers to boost your smartphone’s sound. These let you quickly shape the frequency curve how you like through sliders.
Connecting External Speakers
Pairing your smartphone to a wireless Bluetooth speaker, rather than relying on just the built-in speaker, produces louder volumes and better sound quality. Bluetooth speakers, often portable for transport, can boost audio volume along with bass response. According to The New York Times Wirecutter, popular picks include the Tribit XSound Go and devices from brands like JBL and Bose.
The pairing process involves enabling Bluetooth on both devices and selecting the option to connect. Most Bluetooth speakers enter pairing mode automatically the first time they power on. The Bluetooth connection between smartphone and speaker enables louder audio up to the maximum volume of the external speaker.
In addition to better audio, portable Bluetooth speakers allow directional facing of the sound and facilitate transporting richer sound quality around the home or outdoors. Compact Bluetooth speakers designed for portability balance travel-friendly size and battery life with audio volume and performance.
Other Audio Accessories
In addition to volume booster apps and external speakers, there are some other audio accessories that can help amplify the sound from your smartphone speaker:
Amplifiers: These devices connect to your headphone jack or wirelessly via Bluetooth to amplify the audio signal before it reaches your headphones or external speakers. Popular options like the FiiO A1 Portable Headphone Amplifier can significantly boost volume and improve sound quality.
Projectors: Mini projectors like the Anker Nebula Capsule allow you to project video and audio from your smartphone onto a wall or screen. The larger projection surface results in louder and clearer audio than the smartphone speaker itself.
Other accessories like cup phone holders, listening cones, and microphone attachments can also help focus and amplify sound in specific use cases. Just keep in mind that excessively loud volumes from any speaker have the potential to damage hearing over time.
Considering Hearing Health
While increasing your smartphone speaker volume can help make audio more audible, listening at high volumes, especially for prolonged periods, can permanently damage your hearing over time. Here are some tips for listening at safe volumes:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends keeping volume below 70 decibels to protect your hearing. This is about the level of a normal conversation. Most smartphones and headphones can exceed 100 decibels at full volume, which can cause damage after just 15 minutes.1
Look for volume warning indicators on your smartphone that flash when you exceed safe listening levels and prompt you to turn down the volume.
Take short listening breaks every 30 minutes to give your ears a rest.
Wear noise-canceling headphones to block out external sounds so you can keep volume lower.
Use EQ settings to amplify soft frequencies instead of maxing out overall volume.
Consider volume-limiting headphones designed to prevent unsafe listening levels.
Move your smartphone speaker away from your ears to reduce direct exposure to high volumes.
Have your hearing tested annually and discontinue use if you experience symptoms like tinnitus (ringing ears). It’s better to be safe than permanently damage your hearing.
Troubleshooting Issues
If you are still experiencing sound problems after trying the tips mentioned above, there are some additional troubleshooting steps you can take. One common issue is crackling or distorted sound coming from the speakers. This can be caused by a few different problems:
Buildup of debris – Over time, debris can build up in the speaker grill and cause muffled or crackling sounds. Use a can of compressed air to gently blow out any dust or dirt blocking the speakers.
Faulty connection – The connection between the speaker and motherboard can become loose, resulting in audio issues. Check that the speaker cable is securely connected inside the phone.
Damaged speaker – If your phone was dropped or got wet, the impact or moisture exposure could have damaged the speaker itself. You may need to replace the speaker if the hardware is faulty.
Outdated software – Software bugs or an outdated OS can sometimes interfere with the audio output. Make sure your Android phone is updated to the latest OS version and apps are up-to-date.
Interference from cover – Certain phone cases or covers made of metal or other materials can cause interference resulting in crackling noises. Try removing any case or cover to see if it improves the audio.
If you have tried these troubleshooting tips and the issue persists, you may need to contact the device manufacturer or take it to a repair shop for inspection. But in many cases, a thorough cleaning or software update is enough to fix crackling speaker problems on Android phones.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several options for making the audio from your smartphone speaker louder. The built-in volume can be maxed out, but this may result in distorted or poor quality sound. Downloading a dedicated volume booster app can amplify the output beyond the phone’s limits while minimizing distortion. Equalizer apps help optimize sound quality and volume levels across frequency ranges. Connecting external Bluetooth speakers or headphones provides more power and control over audio output.
When increasing volume, be mindful of your hearing health and avoid excessive exposure to loud sounds. Try adjusting volume in quiet environments and using the lowest effective level. If you continue experiencing low audio issues, inspect the phone speaker for obstructions or damage and test different media players. With some minor adjustments and accessories, you can achieve louder, clearer audio from your smartphone speaker.