iPhone 4S Volume changing on its own

Go into Settings/general/about, scroll right to the bottom, touch diagnostic & usage, then diagnostic & usage data. If there are any entries in there that are PANIC.PLIST, then your iPhone has a hardware issue and will need to be replaced.

My first 4S would randomly shut down and then restart, and also it would randomly turn the volume up and down on its own (basically as if I was pressing the volume button).

When I checked the diagnostic data on it, there were PANIC.PLIST in there. I made a genius bar appointment and the 4S was replaced with a new one.

I did a restore as new on mine, but the volume problem returned along with my panic.plist crashes.

It does sound like a hardware fault. If you are within easy reach of an Apple store, I would contact them to make a Genius Bar appointment, I suspect that with you already doing 'a complete restore and and start adding apps in one by one' that they will replace your iPhone.

My phone is doing the exact same thing. There is no PANIC.PLIST listed in the diagnostics.

Same nerve-racking problem here.It's the most amazing iphone yet.....😮 No PANIC.PLIST in the diag.

I've got the same problem. It's a real issue with games and when using the headphones. I'm going to go get a genius appointment. I'll let you know the outcome.

I had the same issue and went to the genius bar to have it looked at. They said that there was no apparent issue, so it must be a hardware problem that they could not see. They will replace it, pretty easily too.

Same problem here. No PANIC.PLIST in diagnostics data, and the problem returned after a restore. Going to see a genius.

I had the exact same problem with my iPhone 4S. I looked in the settings, no PANIC.PLST. I restored the phone and the problem continued. I made an appointment at the genius bar. The Apple guy took my phone to the back and took it apart. Apparently there was a small piece of packaging stuck inside the phone just underneath the + volume button. It was pressing on the small spring under the button. He took out the piece of packaging and put the phone back together. This was yesterday and I haven't had the problem since. It used to happen several times a day. So far, so good!

Same issue... no panic.plist. Tried the Hard Reset, Restore.. still happening.

Somehow it does not feel as a hardware problem... going to try to find some root cause but, my means are limited.

Yep...mine does the same random sound increase thing. I've checked and rechecked all the settings--everythings always on the lowest possible. I did notice that it mostly does it at random, but almost always after I use the "talk to write" feature. I have yet to take it in since I've only had it for 4 days. I'll post if I find out what my particular phone decided it was.

My 4s was doing the exact same thing. It was a hardware issue - I could initiate the problem by gently touching the volume+ button - not even pressing it, just rubbing my finger over it. I exchanged it, and haven't had the problem since.

Another piece of evidence that it was a hardware problem is that in camera mode, the phone would randomly (and sometimes rapidly) take pictures on its own. It made the camera almost unuseable. Since the new iOS lets the volume+ button act as a shutter button, it's obviously a hardware problem if the volume+ button randomly raises the headphone & ringer volume under normal operation, and causes automatic shutter activations in camera mode.

I'm having this issue as well. Volume decreases on its own randomly and functions as if i am holding the volume button down. I'll probably take mine in soon. Sounds like this will be a legitimate reason for a replacement. I was already not 100% happy with my screen contract/brightness as compared to my previous Iphone 4 so hopefully the replacement will resolve both issues. No panic.plist file in the diagnostic by the way. I'll post an update when i get around to taking it in.

Well guys, I figured it out, for my device at least. After using Siri, the phones mic and speaker are sensitive to voice and the mic has amplified itself to hear you, and it hasn't reset itself yet causing maximum volume on the speaker for some reason for brief time after using Siri. (Something like that, it's kind of confusing) This is apparently a software problem on many iPhone 4Ses and needs to be fixed in a software update!

Source: my own research and tests.