iPhone volume decreasing on its own

For me, the issue looks to be sorted out now. I didn’t do anything, other than keep my phone updated. I have also restarted it more than usual while trying to figure out this bug. Seems to have sorted itself out.

The audio was lowering for any app that involved audio. YouTube, Spotify, etc. I timed it once and the audio was dropping for 30 seconds at 10 and 6 minute random intervals. It lasted for about a month. I didn’t find any relief by playing with the settings. Like it random appeared, it randomly left.

I too have this issue for weeks and weeks already. Extremely frustrating and difficult to narrow down what the source is. Switched iPhones in the meantime by restoring a backup and that didn’t change anything, the problem also persists on the new iPhone…

Same problem here with my iPhone 12 Pro.  Most recent update (15.6) did not fix the problem.  I think the problem got even worse with the update.  It is annoying and destroys the listening experience.  I have tried all the solutions explained on this thread with no luck.  Tried also restoring my iPhone to factory settings.  No success.  Same result.   

It is worth to note that problem only shows up when streaming music on mobile data (I normally use Apple Music).  It never

happens when connected to Wi-Fi, at least in my experience.  

This problem happens when playing sound through headphones, CarPlay (2 different cars, same problem) or with phone speaker.  It always lowers the music level for a period of 20 seconds and then goes back to the previous level.  This happens about 4 times each hour in my case.

My son owns an iPhone XS and is starting to have this problem.  However, not as often as my iPhone 12 (he gets the lowered volume on music about once per hour, also on mobile data). 

Any other ideas or workarounds to try until a fix is released by Apple?

Mine was doing the same thing. Go to settings then sounds and haptics and turn your ringer volume up and it instantly turned my sound up. The buttons on the side only control the music sound volume unless you change it in settings. Me turning my ringer volume all the way up solved it for me.

I agree with you vbarcelop. It always happens in the same specific places, even with location services turned off, so I think is somewhat related to base station hand off. Not all hand offs from one base station to another, but only some specific ones. That's why the problem always shows up in the same location. Sometimes a change from 4G to 5G or the other way around is involved exactly at the same time when the iPhone lowers the volume for 20 seconds and then comes up again. Now I am running iOS 15.6.1 and the bug is still there... Very annoying!!!

I can tell you that this issue still exist in iOS 16 (RC). I have leaved a feedback to Apple but they have not sent any responds to it.

I give up now, next phone I buy will be an Android, that for sure!

This happens in every games I play.

If I start to playing, the volume is normal, but if I stop playing for a few seconds and then continue to play, the volume has decreased to almost inaudible level, and then it will increase to normal level again. This ruins the experience for me!

It must be an bug in the OS? or maybe it's the hardware?

Yes. I am convinced of it.  It’s a mobile network event which triggers the bug, and I almost sure that such network event is related to some specific base stations handoffs, as it always shows up within the same geographic locations.

I don’t want to declare an early victory, but it looks like the bug is not present on iOS16.  I upgraded yesterday and today the

problem didn’t show up, even on the places where I know the bug was triggered on the previous firmware.  I will keep my

fingers crossed, but at least is a good start… If you also have this problem, my suggestion is to give iOS16 a try.

Hello, I also faced this issue on my iPhone 13 pro, this issue makes sound silencer in random moment on AirPods, iPhone speakers, any device connected, no matter, also if silence mode switcher is on. As all mentioned here it takes 10-15 seconds and then sound level returns back.

What I did, firstly checked that all notifications had notification banner turned on, but it didn’t help.

Then just disabled at all notifications from all applications except some important. And this issue disappeared totally, so, some of applications generate ghost notifications. Please, try and reply then on this message if it helped in your case.

Agree. I had an app called Dexcom for blood sugar management. Even with notifications turned off, it kept sending those “ghost notifications” you so aptly called. I deleted the app, problem solved. Apple had no idea what to do and they SWORE it had to do with spatial audio and even got annoyed when I told them that wasn’t it. I would urge anyone with this issue to try and delete apps like the one I mentioned and see if it solves the issue.

Hi Bkush04,

In my specific case, upgrading to iOS 16 solved the problem. At least until now. However, reading all the different replies on this thread, I think we are talking about a mix of different problems that happens to show similar symptoms. For that reason the different fixes suggested work for several cases, but not for all.

I've been having the same issue, with my iphone 11 I always have the latest IOS recently change to an 13 pro max latest IOS and still having the same issue, with my airpods and headphones from another brand.