AirPod Volume too loud at lowest setting for calls

I've had this issue with my AirPods on and off ever since I bought them a couple years ago, through 3 phones and at least a couple iOS upgrades. The ONLY thing I've found that helps is to go to "Settings -> Sound&Haptics -> Headphone Safety -> Reduce Loud Sounds -> Lower to 75 decibels."

This keeps the AirPods from destroying your eardrums when someone calls/texts (even with the ringer set to low) and lowers the volume on calls to a more reasonable, albeit still loud level (again, even when the volume is set to the lowest level possible).

Downside here is that when I use my bluetooth speaker to play music in the house, I have to manually disable this feature, as it affects that bluetooth device as well.

Really wish Apple would do something about this! :(

I’ve got it!

When you call, lower your volume via your volume buttons, moving the on screen volume up and down won’t do anything.

when you do it with the volume buttons you will see it fall from full volume and there will be a telephone icon on the volume bar that comes up! Don’t mess with any other settings.

Goodluck everyone!

I have the same problem as Janerat - ever since upgrading to iOS 14, phone calls have been too loud with airpods, even at the minimum volume setting. Neither of the two articles above was helpful. "Headphones Accommodations" doesn't provide a way to reduce volume, only to boost it or adjust dynamic range boosting.

To be more specific, the problem is likely occurring when the airpods enter the bluetooth HFP profile usually because an app has switched audio categories to playAndRecord. In A2DP for audio playback, the airpods volume can be set to zero, but in HFP, the minimum volume level still produces audible output. That lowest level seems to have changed between iOS 13 and 14, and is now perceived as too loud by some people.

You guys likely have a good reason for disallowing ~functional~ muting in HFP - perhaps so that it's less likely I'll have a hot mic without being able to hear people respond to me (therefore making me aware I can be heard). Whatever the reason, it's pretty much ruining the iphone/airpods experience for me. I use the phone app and a variety of other VOIP apps day in and day out, and in my quiet office, nearly everyone is too loud. I've now had to switch to wired headphones for most of that activity, which is pretty lame.

Please consider reducing the minimum amplification setting for airpods in HFP for everyone, or adding a setting to reduce it personally.

I got Airpod Pros for Christmas and just took them out of the box last night and began using for WebEx and work phone calls. IPhone SE 2020, ios 14.3. The volume even on minimum is so loud I have to pull them half way out of my ears to keep the volume tolerable. I've followed the suggestions written in this discussion, but volume is still too loud.

C'mon Apple, send out a software update to allow us to lower the volume further in voice calls.

I've had the Airpod Pros for about a year, and this drives me absolutely crazy as well. Unless I'm in a loud environment I frequently have to take the airpods halfway out of my ears lest my eardrums explode - especially when its ringing. I otherwise love the airpod pro experience, but how the minimum call volume ended up getting miscoded and has yet to be fixed after all this time is beyond me.

Hey Janerat,

We're glad you thought to ask Apple Support Communities about the issue you're having with the volume of your AirPods. You mention unpairing them and setting them up again. In your troubleshooting, did you also restart your iPhone: Restart your iPhone

Take a look at the following for ways to control the volume: Change the volume on AirPods with iPhone

If that doesn't help, let us know more details:

• Does this happen if you pair them with another device?
• Are you able to control the volume in other areas, such as apps?

The more details you can provide the better.

Take care!

This does not provide any way to reduce the volume. The volume in regular calls (WebEx a lot) on my iPad Air 2020 is *way* too loud on minimum setting. Like I would probably go 4-5 steps if it would let me.

To answer your question, airpods pro are too loud on the lowest setting when I'm on a phone call.

THey are not too loud when listening to music. The native music app goes to zero.

So the phone app does not give enough control.

After listening to a Zoom lecture yesterday - on the lowest volume setting - I now have that “cotton wool in my ears” feeling. Could this be damaging my hearing? I have this problem when talking to people via WhatsApp as well. It seems to have gotten worse after iOs 14 but I’m not sure. Music apps are not a problem though. Seems to be only VOIP that has the problem.

I love my airPods except for this issue. The minimum volume that can be set on calls is still too loud unless in a noisy environment. Why can't the call volume setting be the same as the music or app volume setting. This issue only takes place during calls. None of the solutions mentioned above help the problem.

Just received brand message set of air pod pros - very nice very good just far to loud listening to music they are either off or too loud. Has this issue really been around for 3 months without a fix from apple. That’s a £220 set if head phones that are going In the drawer until a fix comes from apple as the volume gives me a head ache. This is from a 47 year old who did a good job of defining him self in his 20’s. Not apples finest hour! (FYI I have tried all the “fixes” listed above non work)

I'm having the same problem. All phone calls are only acceptably quiet on the lowest possible setting, and just barely acceptable at that. All notification sounds (especially alarms!) are very loud, and in the case of alarms, deafening. I literally have to try to rip the AirPod out of my ear before it starts sounding the alarm because, if it sounds the alarm while I have the AirPod on, it actually hurts. Why on earth hasn't this been fixed?

@elgrego - There's help for notifications. In Settings > Sound & Haptics > Ringer and Alerts, you can set the notification sounds to be very quiet. This makes them useless when headphones are not connected, but at least they are not painful with headphones on. You'll also see "use with buttons" there, but I recommend leaving it switched off. There's nothing worse than turning your ringers all the way to max because you don't want to miss a message in a noisy location, then forgetting and putting in your headphones. This used to work perfectly in older iOS versions - notification sounds were reduced when headphones were connected, but alas, no more.