Apple volume turned down when using headphones

For some reason, Apple have decided to let my phone analyse how I’m using headphones when listening to music, and then unexpectedly turning down the volume without even asking me. I can turn up the volume again, but this is extremely annoying.

I find this a problem because:-

this was not mentioned in the notes of what the update would include;

I listen to very varied music, so it can go from very loud to very quiet, so this makes the quiet bits too quiet to hear;

notifications come up every time it does this, with a sound that also interrupts the music;

if I am in a loud environment, the music is turned down too low to hear properly;

there does not seem to be any way of stopping this that I have found.

Does anyone know a way of stopping this. It is exceptionally annoying, and I have had to start reusing an old iPhone just to play my music through my headphones. This will not be updated as I know that this would happen again.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Nov 9, 2020 12:15 AM

Top-ranking reply

lobsterghost1

Community+ 2025

Level 10

184,111 points

Posted on Nov 11, 2020 8:48 AM

Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Reduce Loud Sounds

Is it marked Allow? If it is mark Don't Allow

Then go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety > Turn off Reduce Loud Sounds if turned on

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158 replies

ultanUX

Level 1

4 points

Dec 30, 2020 6:17 AM in response to Piki88

Realistically folks, the only way this is going to change is by a) directing the feedback to Apple - connecting to their support teams and asking *** is this and how it be turned off?

https://support.apple.com/

[Edited by Moderator]

Jan 21, 2021 12:45 AM in response to ihate apple10

you need to add your voice to the complaints then, apple don't take much not of things on here so use the feed back form, speak to technical, tweet to tim cook, email him as well.

the more people who do this, the more it will be pushed up the todo list and the quicker this will be removed.

Jan 29, 2021 7:39 PM in response to Peter from Cambridge

I’ve updated to 14.4, and now testing out the headphones. So far no decrease in volume. Only one notification early on.

Notes on what others have said though, as it will differ from area to area.

As I’m in the UK, these may not be relevant to all users.

Under Settings>Sounds & Heptics>Headphone Safety, there is no option for turning the headphone notifications off. This is probably because I’m in a nanny state. However, I do have Reduce Sounds turned on, with the max volume set at 100 decibels.

As I’m using PowerBeats3 headphones, there is no option to select what sort of device this is. I believe this option will only come up on non-Apple related bluetooth devices.

I use the headphones mainly for commuting, cycling 45 minutes to work, and then another 45 minutes back about 11 hours later. As this is varied days, I’ll wait a couple of weeks to see how the phone reacts.

Feb 1, 2021 5:25 AM in response to lobsterghost1

Rose 1370- I updated to 14.4 and it seems to have fixed my issues regarding volume drop. But again- my phone would have updated on its own were there not also issues with wifi connection. Rose I would also go ahead and do what loki and lobsterghost suggest- go to bluetooth in settings, tap the info icon (i in a circle) and identify your device as a speaker...or whatever it is...not headphones.

In defense of Rose, I think her frustration stems from how absurd it is that one might have to go to this trouble in order to maintain control of their volume, regardless of the delivery format. This has taken place without anyone's consent- none of us asked Apple to start deciding when our ears have had too many decibels. Some of us are Apple lovers from way back when the company was great at intuing what most users did and did not need as options as the technology advanced, and at keeping the navigation of those options streamlined and...intuitive. That seems to have changed over the years, along with what you actually get for Apple's very high price tags.

Piki88

Level 1

4 points

Jan 4, 2021 6:57 AM in response to Piki88

I started using siri to get the volume back up if my hands are busy now if i could just make YouTube stop pausing every three song everything would be perfect

Jan 29, 2021 11:08 AM in response to SocialClub

Have you updated to 14.4?

Feb 1, 2021 5:30 AM in response to SocialClub

Apple didn't just decide to lower loud sounds. It was a recommendation by the WHO.

Almost all device makers have implemented it and in the EU is is the law.

Aug 25, 2021 6:00 PM in response to lobsterghost1

It seems I turned off screen time and had crazy issues. Volume turned down Siri jumping in. I turned screen time back on. All seems okay now. iPhone 6!

Nov 11, 2020 7:29 PM in response to lobsterghost1

I’ve never bothered with Screentime before, so it’s always been turned off. I’ve set things out as you described and I’ll try it out. Hopefully this will work and I’ll let you know as soon as I have. Also, I hope Screentime doesn’t inundate me with notifications now I have it on.

Nov 15, 2020 11:38 AM in response to kevan256

I was really hopeful that it would fix the problem too, but no, same for me.

I understand why they need to give the nag message, but that should be as far as it goes - turning down the audio too is not ok.

I can just imagine, soon, they’ll just not let you turn it higher than what they deem an acceptable level.

Laiquen

Level 1

4 points

Dec 6, 2020 8:50 AM in response to Peter from Cambridge

I agree this is the most annoying feature - as someone who was born partially deaf - i have my phone in loud so i can actually hear it. I dont need iphone turning it to a volume i cant actually hear.

jdenmead

Level 1

4 points

Dec 8, 2020 11:38 AM in response to Peter from Cambridge

I had this happen today while cycling. I use bone conduction headphones so Incan still hear my surroundings. They are also a little lower in volume than standard headphone so need to be up a little higher. A pain having to stop cycling and turn things back up. Hopefully there will be a setting to control this as it’s a right pain currently.

Dec 13, 2020 7:33 PM in response to bhoop203

This is the most ridiculous BS I’ve seen apple do. Happens to me on bike rides every day. I ride through the city. It’s loud. I need volume. This is by far jacked up. None of my phone settings should be at apples discretion. Perhaps it’s time to give another vendor a try

ultanUX

Level 1

4 points

Dec 21, 2020 8:50 AM in response to Nickbrous

Apples worst #UX "enhancement" ever.? What happened to that 30 yr old #usability heuristic about user control and freedom*?

Molich, R., and Nielsen, J. (1990). Improving a human-computer dialogue, Communications of the ACM 33, 3 (March), 338-348.

Dec 26, 2020 10:11 PM in response to Peter from Cambridge

I’m going through the same, so commenting to hopefully hear a change eventually.

Quite often my phone is connected to my Bluetooth FM Transmitter so that I can hear my music in my car; it’s beyond annoying to be jamming out in my car and all of a sudden it drops to a low volume, this is more annoying because YES, the phone volume is at 100%, however I do not always have my car volume all the way up. And when I have my AirPods in, since I have the AirPod Pros I rarely have it at 100%, so it’s a misconception to say I’ve had it at an unsafe volume for too long! >;(

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Apple volume turned down when using headphones