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How do I get my volume bar back on iPhone 4?

My volume bar is missing from my iPhone 4 and this seems to be the reason the audio won't work when I try to play music. However, when I play a ringtone the audio is fine. I put my iPhone in the Bose speaker dock and the volume bar comes back, but only temporarily. I've already tried restoring it and it didn't fix the problem. Help?

iPhone 4, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Nov 24, 2011 11:04 AM

Reply
26 replies

Nov 24, 2011 11:43 AM in response to darbyu9

i have this issue with my touch as well when i pull it off the dock or unplug the headphones after turning off the device. some times sound will stop all together until you return it to the doc or put the headphones back in.


try plugging in some headphones to see if the volume bar restores. if so, exit with the home button while they are plugged in and things should be back to normal.


gray

Nov 24, 2011 12:40 PM in response to darbyu9

could you check something found on some devices - Settings, General, Home, iPod Controls (ON)) to show the volume control.


as well in settings, sound, volume level is up


you may need to doc the device back on the doc ( it thinks it is still connected ) play the music through the bose, pause or exit with the remote, press the home button to exit music while on the doc (back to the home screen) remove from doc, try playing music from there. If you still have no sound hold the power button on the phone for a full shut down, sound should be restored when it reboots.


good luck, i hope it helps.

Dec 2, 2011 9:16 PM in response to darbyu9

I am having the Same issue as you!


Whenever I try to play a Youtube video or iPod song, the Volume Bar is gone below the Play/FF/Rew options.

But, when I receive a Phone Call, Text, Email, the tones work fine through the phone speaker.


When I plug Headphones in, the Volume bar appears and sound plays fine through the headphones.


Have you found a fix for this issue?


It is a huge pain in the *** and makes me feel like my phone is a used and abused hooker.


I have iPhone 4 running 5.0.1 currently not jailbroken. (Having same issue stock and jb)

Dec 2, 2011 11:13 PM in response to Mike iPhone Guy JB Fan

I haven't found a solution for the problem yet... And my volume bar is still missing. It's definitely an inconvenience.


The only problem I have that you don't seem to have is that when I get text messages, my phone only sometimes notifies me with a tone... I don't know why sometimes there's a tone and sometimes there's a vibrate. It's really strange.


I'm probably just going to take it to an Apple store next time I'm near one. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Please post here again is you find a fix for the problem! Thanks :)

Dec 10, 2011 4:05 PM in response to darbyu9

I just had this problem today. My volume bar was missing in iTunes and onscreen ringer icon when pressing buttons on side. Ringtones could be heard when receiving calls and sound with headphones worked fine. I checked all settings everything ok. Got on phone with Apple and while on hold the volume bar appeared on my screen! I'm not sure what happened. Maybe when I gave my serial number to the auto system Apple sent out a reset signal. Who the heck knows!?! I always call apple with any problem I have and they have helped me every time!

Dec 12, 2011 9:28 AM in response to angel@lex

I was able to get my phone fixed.

I had to go to the apple store and have one of the techs play with it.

I don't live far, so it wasn't a big deal.


For those of you who do not live close to an apple store

I will try to describe what the tech did.

Basically, it is an issue with the 32 pin port below your home button.

It is dirty or damaged and your phone thinks it's Docked.


The tech started by using two small paintbrushes.

One with soft bristles and one with firmer bristles.

He cleaned the heck out of the area.

Lastly, **I do not recommend you do this on your own**

He took a small metal object. It looked like an old 1920's key but with no notches.

Basically just a small cylindrical object completely round, no edges.

And he lightly rubbed it over the 32 pin port.


After all that, my phone is back to functioning normally.


Hope this helps.

Dec 29, 2011 6:23 PM in response to Mike iPhone Guy JB Fan

I just had this problem. The iphone 4s speaker wont work when playing youtube video or any othe app and the volume bar was gone. Although it worked when using phone on speaker or using apps with headphones. I tried resetting the phone couple of times but it didnt help. Then I blew some air with my mouth real hard a few times in the headphone jack and dock connector and voila volume bar came back and speakers started working. Looks like it was due to some dust on these connectors. Hope this helps.

Jan 5, 2012 2:36 PM in response to darbyu9

I just had this same problem with my wife's iPhone 4 with IOS 5.01. What I came across was when she plugged in her iPhone into her car audio system which recognizes the iPhone as an audio device it takes over the speaker control and leaves the speaker control locked in “Docking Station” mode as opposed to “iPhone”. The only place to change this is directly in iTunes on the device. (“Choose Which Speakers to Use” is the little icon in the lower bottom right of iTunes with a square and a triangle that points upward). What I had to do was plug the iPhone back into the car audio system and it still gives you option to select “Choose Which Speakers to Use”, I selected another option beside the “Docking Station”, unplugged the device and everything was back to normal.

Jan 5, 2012 3:02 PM in response to darbyu9

Thanks so much for your help guys!


My volume bar is back and my phone is working again... It fixed itself on its own after about a month.


It's weird because I took it to the Apple store and had it looked at. The lady said it looked like there had been water damage and the sensors were stuck like the phone was plugged into a doc. I had dropped it in a puddle prior to my phone breaking. But she said the problem couldn't be fixed. So I'm happy she was wrong and I can honestly say I have no clue how it fixed itself.


But thanks again! I really appreciate all the replies :)

Jan 18, 2012 11:31 PM in response to darbyu9

Just came home to find I have the same problem!! iPhone 4S, never jail broken,dropped or spilled anything on it! I have been using my original iPhone charger (when they came out with the new iPhone I just shaved my charging/docking station to fit) so it is a little on the dirty side!

This is the first post I read so I did the headphone thing, the docking undocking thing, restarted it and messed with all the volume setting and neither of them worked.

So finally taking "mike iPhone guys" post, I looked @ the 32 pin port at the bottem of the iPhone and I reminded me of a old Nintendo cartridge do untreated it as so.

*** THIS IS HOW I FIXED THIS ISSUE, I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT BEFORE CONSULTING APPLE, YOU MIGHT DAMAGE YOUR DEVICE*********

These are the exact steps I took ....

1. I blew into the port and it did absolutely nothing!

2. I took a vacuum ($200 Hoover windtunnel t series P.A.W.S pet approved vacuum, so it has some power behind it, not the most expensive but not the cheapest either) and used the smallest accessory, the long connection hose/tube with the smaller rectangle attachment and sucked the air out of the port.

This worked for 5 secs my volume bar appeard and then disappeared again.

3. I took a very thin butter knife, wrapped it with a paper towel that I sprayed windex with and stuck it in gently one both sides, tested and still didn't work.

4. Repeated the previous step but added a little pressure and shoved the blade in the upper part only closest to the screen, not the bottem side the knife didn't want to go in as easy so I didn't try, alot of dirt was on the rag, then I used a dry part of the towel and did the same again until there was no dirt on it!

Tested and still didn't work!

5. Blow in it once more, and vacuumed it once more but this time putting my finger in the area that the vacuum didn't reach on both ends an lightly tapping it, WORKS FINE NOW! Just needed some

Cleaning. I can only assume the dirt does make it

Think that it's still docked.

Feb 22, 2012 5:15 PM in response to darbyu9

i discovered a a solution when messing with my phone, you need to first navigate in your phone to /System/Library/LaunchDaemons and delete "com.apple.accessoryd.plist" If removed, disables accessories iPhone docks, and AV cables. the problem occures because you phone thinks its in dock mode, by deleting the file i mention from your phone you will no longer have this problem.

How do I get my volume bar back on iPhone 4?

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