If your iPhone doesn’t seem like it’s getting loud enough, even when you have the volume at the maximum level, then there is something else that you can try.
Follow the steps below to see if that can increase the volume of the music you play on your device.
Use these steps to make your iPhone louder.
Step 1: Open the “Settings” app.
If you don’t see it on your Home screen you can swipe down and search for it.
Step 2: Select the “Music” option.
It’s down a bit in the menu.
Step 3: Touch the “EQ” option.
It’s in the “Playback” section of the menu.
Step 4: Select “Late Night” from the list.
In my experience, this is the loudest setting.
These steps are repeated below with additional information and pictures for each step.
The volume of your iPhone is something that you may not think much about a lot when you’re using it. When you primarily use it with headphones, or watching videos, or taking phone calls – basically any situation where the phone is going to be close to your ears – then even a somewhat lower volume level is probably fine.
But occasionally you might want the iPhone speaker louder if you are playing music for a group of people in a large room, or if you are doing something away from your iPhone and want to be able to play your Apple Music app playlists while performing that task.
If you have maxed out the volume with the volume buttons on the side of the device and still find that it’s not enough to provide the volume level that you need, then there is another option you can try to make the sound louder on your iPhone.
How to Increase Audio Level on an iPhone
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 7 Plus in iOS 12.1. By completing the steps in this guide you are going to attempt to boost the volume coming from your iPhone speaker by switching an EQ setting for the Music app on the device.
Step 1: Open the Settings app.
Step 2: Scroll down and choose the Music option.
Step 3: Scroll down and tap EQ under the Playback section of the menu.
Step 4: Choose the Late Night setting from this list of options.
If you want to check out the effectiveness of this Late Night option when compared to previous sound levels, then start playing a song in your Music app and follow these steps to toggle between Late Night and some other EQ options from this list.
In my experience, Late Night is usually the loudest, but it can vary depending on the type of music that you are playing. If it’s something with a lot of bass, then the Bass Booster option could be better for you.
You may have noticed in Step 3 that there is a Volume Limit option under the EQ option that we told you to choose. Typically that Volume Limit setting should be set to Off, but it’s possible that it has been enabled previously. If the Volume Limit is set, try going into that menu option and turning it off to see if you experience louder sound.
If you have tried out this EQ setting, maxed out the volume using the buttons on the side of the iPhone, and confirmed that the Volume Limit isn’t set, but still don’t have the volume level that you need, then you may need to consider some additional options.
You could try purchasing a Bluetooth speaker like this one from Amazon, or you could use a 3.5 mm audio jack to connect your iPhone to an auxiliary port on a home theater. Note that most newer iPhones no longer have a 3.5mm audio jack, so you would need to use a Lightning to 3.5mm adapter to make this physical connection.
if this has improved the audio level of your music, but some other things still seem to be too quiet, then try using the volume buttons on the side of the iPhone when those quiet apps are playing sound as well. There are several application-specific volume levels on your iPhone that can be modified when their sound is playing through the speakers.
If you do elect to get a Bluetooth speaker, you will be able to control the sound level both from the iPhone and from the speaker itself. To make your music play as loud as possible, you will want to have the volume levels maxed out on the speaker and on the iPhone.
Sometimes a phone case might be blocking the speakers on your iPhone and dampening the sound. If you suspect that this is an issue for your device, try removing the phone case and seeing if the sound gets louder. If it does, then you may be using a phone case that was designed for a different iPhone model. Many of the iPhone models have been similar enough in size that cases will fit multiple models, but slight layout changes on the device can cause issues like speakers becoming blocked.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I increase the volume on my iPhone?
You can use the “Volume Up” button on the side of the device. Additionally, many apps have their own internal volume controls. Try looking for a speaker icon and drag the slider to the highest level.
Why is my volume so low on my iPhone?
In most cases the iPhone should be able to achieve a high enough volume level for most people. It’s helpful to check the levels on any speakers or headphones that are connected if you have already used the volume buttons and increased the in-app volume. Additionally you may want to go to Settings > Music > Volume Limit and drag the slider all the way to the right.
How do I make my headphones louder on my iPhone?
Many headphones will have their own volume control on the headphones themselves. Try looking for one and pressing the “Volume Up” button several times to see if it helps.
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- How to make your iPhone louder
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.