iPhone 4 low earpiece volume after ios 5 upgrade

Whilst some people may have found that their low volume problem was a hardware issue (e.g. dodgy headphones, dirty headphone socket, etc), I can tell you there is defintely a software bug/problem of some sort with iOS5.

When listening to music through the headphones at supposedly max volume, the level can suddenly become noticeably quieter than usual. A reset of the phone, or doing the "ringer volume fix" or "language settings fix" as discussed above restores the volume to its normal setting. Not a major problem of course but quite irritating. Never happened with iOS4.

Me too. Following the upgrade to 5.01 the ear piece volume is hardly discernable unless in a quiet area (VERY quiet area). I even switched back to earpieces that came with the phone but they were worse! Im not a music fan but listen to audio books whilst travelling. Prior to the upgrade I used listen to books at about 40% on the slide volume, depending on road conditions etc. Since the upgrade I can only hear (using ear phones) the narrator or a caller when in a quiet room and on full volume which means my phone is useless to me when I travel. Very very dissapointed.

Last friday (20.) I went to the Apple Store and got a replacement iPhone and headset. There was also a problem with the homebutton, which didn't react proper at all clicks ... AppleCare saved me 141,21 Euro ;-)

I have this problem my music only plays half volume even when on full it was fine when I first got 4s but has gone low. I went to iPhone store today and they told to me to restore the phone I have done this and it is still the same. How are apple getting away with this there is obviously a problem and they choose to ignore it. I want this fixing.

I now had two brand new iPhone 4S's and one iPad 2 that all exhibit this same problem. And it doesn't just affect the headphones - playing audio via Airplay gives the same muffled, low volume output. In every case, turning on EQ makes the problem considerably WORSE.

I've given up music playback on these devices. My old iPhone 3GS running iOS 3.2 produces perfect audio and it's the only device I'll carry with me to listen to music on.

This has gone on for four months now and no hint of a fix on the horizon. I've tried every single one of the tips suggested here and categorically, none make any difference whatsoever. This one issue is highly fustrating - I'm so annoyed that the last update did nothing to fix this.

I'm sorry to see that so many of you here are still having this problem. As far as I know there is still no permanent fix, hopefully iOS 5.1 will fix it when it is released. However, in my case the temporary fixes I mentioned earlier in this thread have consistently worked so I would others to try them again: I first noticed this low volume problem with my iPhone 4 after upg to iOS 5.0.0/5.0.1. Both the fixes i mentioned earlier worked on the iPhone 4. I then bought a iPhone 4S and after a few weeks of use, this too started exhibiting this low volume bug. On both the phones, both the temp fixes worked every time so please do try them again, you might get lucky:

1) Fix #1: while playing music through headphones, go to the Voice Memos App. Launch the App and you will notice that the music fades out and will be paused. Now you do not need to actually record any memo, just let the Voice Memo App run for 3 or 4 seconds and then exit the App. Now after exiting the Voice Memo App, go to the Music app and play the music. It should now play at proper volume.

2) Fix #2: While playing music throught headphones, go to Settings App > General > International and change the Language to Any other language. For instance, if you are in English, then change to British English or vice versa. Once you do that, you will notice that the Springboard relaunches. After the Springboard relaunches, go to the Settings App again and change your language back original language. Once again, your Springboard will relaunch. Now try the Music, it should be at proper volume now.

Of course as a few people have indicated here, there could be a hardware issue causing this bug too, such as dirty headphones contacts etc. But if your device is fairly new and you are having this problem, then it is most certainly a software bug and I do hope the suggestions above will help at least some of you... Best wishes.

Also upgraded to iOS 5.1 and I still have unacceptably low call volume. I know my call volume is turned all the way up. In addition to the above fixes I replaced the earpiece speaker too with no results. Can we get a fix here or what, Apple?

I'm using an iPhone 4S now on iOS 5.1. Before upg from 5.0.1 to 5.1 I had this intermittent volume problem where the system sounds (ringer, sms alert, alarm tone etc) and the music volume thru headphones would inexplicably become one step softer. I used to be able to cure this by either running the Voice Memo app while the music was playing, or changing the system language (thereby respringing the Springboard). Now after doing a over-the-air upg to 5.1, I find that all's the sounds are softer than before, but both the fixes I mentioned above do not work! Therefore I'm stuck with low system sounds and low music volume. I will try a full restore when I have them time and report back if that cures the problem. I'll also report this bug to Apple. I would urge others to do the same...

Driving me insane, too, Ndejesus. And just to expand the scope of this problem. I am on a new iPod TOUCH and suffered his horrible reduction in headphone volume following the iOS 5.1 "upgrade" (a downgrade disaster in my case).

None of the recommended iPhone-oriented work-arounds work on my Touch.

This needs a priority fix ASAP. My Touch is useless until this is fixed. All sound through headphones is barely audible. Moving over to my Kindle Fire until this is fixed.

Excuse me, Master Hernandez, for not using the proper King's English to reference my earpieces, earbuds, headphones, headset, or whatever acceptable device one plugs into the 1/4" plug suppied by Apple for the attachment of non-internal stereo personal listening devices. In fact a visit to any Big Box tech store as well as a vist to Google will reveal that the _least_-used reference to Apple personal intra-ear listening devices is the word "earpiece." Rather, such devices are routinely called "ear buds" or "headphones," or to cover all the bases, "ear bud head[hones."

Regardless of the terminology used, the 5.1 iOS "upgrade" screwed up my Touch to the point that I can barely use it with my Bose IE2 Audio Headphones (http://goo.gl/m7R8).

LOL you still don't understand. This has nothing to do with headphones, earbuds, or anything else that goes into your ear. it has to do with the receiver on the iPhone 4 itself. you know, the part where you put your ear to the phone to hear the other person talking? Yeah, that earpiece. There was no need to sound magnanimous on account of your not understanding.

But, Rich, you are not understanding either. I was expanding the problem report to note that my iPod Touch is suffering the same low-volume "hearing effect" as a result of this recent iOS 5.1 "upgrade." Not being an iPhone, I don't have an earpiece. IOW, it seems that this iOS 5.1 "upgrade" has a generalized negative impact on the volume of whatever means you have to available to hear sounds,

I have the same problem since iOS 5 too. There exist a couple of random hints, like putting siri on and off, toggling internationalization, start and stop recording memo's, etc... some of them had minimal effect. I waited until iOS 5.1, but saw no solution whatsoever.

I think it could eventually have something to do with the volume lock, but I am not sure. I did a reset all settings, to no avail. The volume lock, btw, has a strange relay on all effective volume changes and slider feedback.

I hope Apple will anounce this problem and projected solution soon and officially. For a 800€ device, it is a stupid defect!

I have the same problem. After the upgrade the earpiece volume is very low. Unusable for me. My wife can't hear anything on it. Called support and went through ever reboot they can do with them. Nothing worked. Sent it in and apple said it was within spec. They changed all the firmware but it was the same. I tried it before resorting it and it was no good. I take it in to an Apple store in a few days tho see if they think it is bad. Apple said they did everything and it is in spec so case closed. So I will try the store and if the tach there thinks it is ok I guess I get my ears cleaned. It was great for 3 months and it went bad. I can hear my HTC just fine.

My headphones are OK. So is ringer volume.

I just discovered something weird.

My apple supplied earphone with mic and control-buttons has a four pole pin.

My Sennheiser earphones has no mic, and a regular three pole pin.

With Music player active, with slider visible, when I plug out the Apple earphone from my iPhone 4S with volume slider at 100%, and plug in my Sennheisser, the slider automatically slides back to 50%, giving the same actual volume as the Apple earphone at 100%. Now when I slide the Sennheisser to 100%, that's when it produces the maximum volume I experienced before.

Switching to the Apple earphones gives me back my low volume problem. And when I say low I mean so quiet, that I cannot hear the music when someone is talking at three feet away form me.

And I cannot imagine this is whithin spec, Apple!