Many users are asking, “Why are my Airpods so low all of a sudden?” It can be very frustrating when you can’t hear sound from your Apple earphones.
Luckily, we know a few solutions!
When your Airpods volume is very low, the most obvious reason is you activated a volume limit. It’s also possible that your device is in low-power mode. Check for software updates to rule out bugs or glitches.
Is your AirPods volume too low? Don’t worry, we got you covered!
The first thing you should do is adjust the volume on your iPhone. If you still can’t hear well, clean your AirPods to remove dust and dirt buildup.
Also, make sure low power mode and volume limit are disabled on your device. If the issue persists, try re-pairing your AirPods with your device.
Before we proceed to the actual troubleshooting steps, let us discuss the causes of why Airpods volume is very low.
Top Causes Why Are My AirPods Very Low
If you think about why your AirPods suddenly go quiet, even if the volume is all the way up, you are not alone. Many issues can affect the volume of your earphones.
We listed some below.
✅ Dirt blocking the opening
If your earphones spend a lot of time in your ears, the waxy buildup can significantly lower the volume. Dirt can also block the opening.
✅ Low battery
You may have forgotten to charge your AirPods, and now they are low on battery. A low battery may decrease the volume, so give your device a full charge and see if this improves the issue.
✅ Airpods in low-power mode
You may have enabled Low Power Mode to conserve battery. However, this lowers the volume of your device than usual.
✅ Activated volume limit
You may have activated a volume limit to protect your hearing. Either you turned on “Reduce Loud Sounds” or turned down “Sounds & Haptics.” Both make your earphones quieter.
✅ Outdated software
There may be some underlying software issues that are causing your AirPods volume to be too low. You may have missed an important update that fixes temporary bugs and glitches.
These are the possible reasons your AirPods volume is so low. Now, let’s proceed to the solutions.
Proven Solutions Why Are My AirPods So Low All of a Sudden
If you experience the volume of your Airpods getting low all of a sudden, you can take a few basic steps to mitigate the situation.
It’s possible that your AirPods are running low on batteries, so charging them is an obvious step.
You could have also set the volume on your phone by mistake and set it to its lowest level.
If this is the case, you can increase your phone volume to see if your Airpods improve.
There are instances when these basic steps won’t work out. It means that there’s a deeper issue involved.
You can check out these more advanced solutions if this is the case.
Solution #1: Clean Your AirPods to Remove Dust and Dirt Buildup
Your AirPods have openings that can get dust and dirt inside. When stray particles accumulate in the holes of your earphones, they can block sound from propagation, and you’ll experience low volume.
Apart from dust and dirt, earwax can also be a big issue that can mess up the volume levels of your AirPods.
You want to ensure that your AirPods are always clean to avoid any blockages that can ruin your listening experience.
Here’s how to clean your AirPods properly:
- Get a soft dry microfiber cloth.
- Wipe your AirPods clean with a cloth dampened with water.
- Use a dry cotton swab to clean the speaker mesh and microphone.
- Dry your AirPods completely before putting them back in the case.
Pro Tip: Don’t run your Airpods under tap water, as it can cause damage.
Solution #2: Disable Low Power Mode on Your Device
Putting your device into low power mode can also cause your AirPods to limit their audio output. Your phone will lower the overall volume levels to conserve power.
Even though it does not really make sense to do it with the AirPods since they come with their own batteries, your phone can limit the volume levels.
If your AirPods go quite suddenly, you can check your device if low power mode is enabled. Turning it off should get your AirPods to work properly again.
Here’s how to disable low-power mode on your iPhone:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Select the Battery menu option.
- Tap on Low Power Mode to toggle it Off.
- Restart your phone.
Pro Tip: You can switch off low power mode by going to your phone’s Control Center and tapping on the icon.
Solution #3: Switch Off The Volume Limiter on Your Phone
Did you know that you can set your phone’s max volume levels? It’s a handy feature that will stop excess volume and protect your hearing when using earphones.
However, the volume limiter can cause issues where the max volume can be lowered significantly.
Whenever this happens, you can check the volume limiter option on your phone and disable it. Once you turn it off, your volume levels should return to normal.
Here’s how to turn off the volume limiter on your phone:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Look for the Music option, and tap on it.
- Navigate to Playback.
- Select Volume Limit.
- Tap on the switch to toggle it Off.
Note: You can now set your Airpods volume to full.
Solution #4: Adjust the Equalizer Settings for Your AirPods
Your phone has equalizer settings that allow you to fine-tune the audio from your speakers or Airpods.
Changing some of the settings here can affect how your earphones work and even volume levels.
Some of the equalizer settings can directly affect the volume of your AirPods. You could have inadvertently changed them, ruining your listening experience in the process.
Here’s how to adjust the equalizer settings on your Airpods:
- Tap on your phone’s Settings.
- Navigate to Music.
- Select the EQ option.
- Set it to Off.
Solution #5: Recalibrate Your Bluetooth Volume
Even though your AirPods are successfully connected to your phone via Bluetooth, there can still be issues that can come out of it.
Certain settings can affect your Bluetooth volume and can affect calibration. This is when your Bluetooth volume isn’t the same as your phone’s.
Even when you’re volume settings are at full, your Bluetooth device may think otherwise, and it can be lower, which can affect your listening experience.
Here’s how to properly recalibrate your Bluetooth volume:
- Connect your AirPods and start playing music.
- Turn the volume down to the minimum.
- Disconnect your AirPods, but don’t unpair them.
- Play music from your phone’s speakers and lower the volume to 0.
- With both volume settings at 0, reconnect your AirPods.
Note: Slowly turn up the volume to maximum to see if there are any changes to the volume levels on your Airpods.
Solution #6: Balance the Left and Right Volume Slider
Your AirPods come with two independent earphones with different volume levels.
One can be significantly lower than the other due to a mismatch in your balance settings. Swing it far to the left or right, and one of your AirPods will have a much lower volume.
To fix this issue with the balance, you want to center it so both your AirPods will have the same volume levels.
Here’s how to set the balance of your Airpods:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Scroll down and select Accessibility.
- Tap on the Audio/Visual option.
- Adjust the Balance Slider to the center.
Note: You can change this setting while listening to music, making it easier to judge the volume levels.
That’s it! These are the proven solutions you need to follow if the volume of your AirPods suddenly goes low.
If none of these steps work and resolve your issue, you can reset your AirPods to factory settings to restore their volume levels.
Here’s how to reset your AirPods to factory defaults:
- Put the AirPods in the charging case.
- Close the cover and wait for 30 seconds or more.
- Open the cover of the charging case and launch the Settings app.
- Select your AirPods, then tap on Forget this Device.
Tip: You can also press and hold the button on the charging case and wait for the LED light to flash white.
Bottom Line
You now have all the answers to why are my Airpods so low all of a sudden.
You can use this knowledge to determine which settings to change and get the volume levels of your AirPods to the right range.
However, if you continue to experience this issue, you can consider contacting Apple support to get your AirPods serviced for faulty hardware.
Read Next: Pairing Rejected By Airpods? – Here’s How to Fix
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.