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

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

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

158 replies

Feb 8, 2021 1:15 PM in response to Peter from Cambridge

Mine’s been doing this too for a few weeks. Sent apple a nicely worded letter


  • I use my iPhone for work as a satnav and with Spotify at the same time. At certain points during the week, my iPhone will automatically turn the volume down. I don’t want this, don’t need this, I control the volume using the car audio system. It suddenly reducing in sound is a distraction from my driving and is likely to lead to an accident if it carries on. Please correct this.

Apr 29, 2021 10:10 AM in response to Jay9432

Exactly. My feature is already turned off & i can’t hear my gps when i’m on my bike bc apple thinks they’re smarter than i am & needs to dictate how loudly my phone settings operate at, so instead of allowing ME to control MY own phone’s volume so i can hear my gps when i’m riding my motorcycle, i now have to constantly LOOK DOWN & AWAY from the road because, yeah, that’s safer.... <palmface>. Good job, apple

Apr 29, 2021 10:15 AM in response to holtsch

I’m also using ios 14.4 on a NEW phone, so everything *should* be current. I have confirmed everyone’s suggestions to verify that Reduce Loud Sounds is disabled; however, my phone is STILL low volume when i’m running my bluetooth in my helmet while riding my motorcycle. I cannot hear my gps which completely defeats apple’s objective of safety as i now have to continuously take my eyes off of the road to check my map on my phone.

Jul 28, 2021 4:56 AM in response to Peter from Cambridge

Yes it's very annoying i agree. It even turns down my speakers at home! SOMEHOW IPHONE SEES MY SOUNDSYSTEM AT HOME AS A HEADSET! and it turns down my volume everytime and my country's law forced us to keep this setting on! This makes me so angry because it really feels like someone is taking away our freedom to even listen to music how we want to!

It's like apple became a grumpy senior complaining about loud sounds yet sells tunes on itunes.


Please Apple stop being a concerned babysitter and give me my sound back.

This problem makes me want to leave using a iphone and I've been using iphones since 2008 but don't touch my music or we are going to have a problem!

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Apple volume turned down when using headphones

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