iPad 3 Volume Control says Sound Effects and won't adjust

Since the last update why do the volume controls effect the Sound Effects volume instead of Media volume?

This is so stupid. Who needs to change the sound effects volume? Now when I am traveling on the train or plane I cannot preemptively lower the volume of my media until its already playing and blasting loud. Once the media is playing you can lower the volume but that's often too late.

I hope they fix this mistake in the next update!!!

I was just having this same issue. In the past I've been able to just wait and it would switch automatically, but it seemed to be stuck on adjusting only the sound Fx. The only solution I just found for myself was to go to your Settings > General > Sounds and slide the switch to off that allows for FX to be adjusted using the buttons. Anytime you want to adjust your alert volume, you'll have to go into the settings here, but at least the external button adjusts the actual volume - always - this way.

(I did have to force quit the app I was trying to hear, but I don't know if that had anything to do with it.)

they told me, that it was caused by a little scratch/dent on my ipad and that they wouldn't fix it.

if I plug in a charger and unplug a few times, volume control will come back.

some apps seem to override it and work fine sometimes. skype for instance played external sound the first time i used it. it didn't on subsequent uses though.

Hi, i have had the same problem but on my ipad 2, i tried everything, restore, mute buttons. in the end i have decided its the internal dock connector if you look up inside where you plug in your ipad you will see a strip inside it. i had to bend it ever so slightly upwards and all the sound came back on.

not sure how long this fix will last but im sure thats the problem.

Okay, I just had the ^exact^ problem and easytiger had the solution for me. I looked very closely into my connector and there was a tiny, tiny, sliver of metal sticking out of one of the sides and touching the middle connector. I took my handy micro screwdriver (for turning pots in EE) and carefully removed it, and then everything worked like a charm. I think that when something gets a bit dorked with the connector, then the iPad thinks something is connected and removes all the sound sliders from the UIs and won't let you change the volume level with the buttons. Thanks Easytiger.

I have the same problem. Ipad 3rd generation wifi with audio problems similar to urs. I concur with easytiger1978 that its the dock connecter causing the problem. Whenever I'm watching a video and the sound suddenly disappears, two words appear just for a tiny fraction of a second: dock connecter before disappearing with the volume bar. When I push the strip of the dock up just slightly, the sound volume returns obediently. The other problem is that it disappears again after a while and I have to repeat it again. Sometimes it only last for a few seconds making it tiresome to do it again. Should I just get it replaced then?

Greetings!

I just now followed the advice above, and solved my problem by using a different charging cable.

Must be lucky that the old charging cable is "dorked", and not the internals of the iPad!

The indication of a bad cable, I guess, is that the sound controls fade out after a few seconds with it connected, but they do not do so with a good cable.

Thank you for the shortcut to happiness, easytiger!

BTW, some folks also say that the problem may be related to using a non-Apple charger or cable; my "bad" cable is non-Apple; the good one is the original (albeit too short) cable that arrived with the iPad.

Glad i have helped a few people out 🙂

i have no more problems since i fiddled with the connecter dock

I have the exact rpoblem, are there really not any solutions to this?

So you tried this? I should have added that I needed to use a bright light and magnifying glass to see this very tiny piece of metal spanning from one side of the connector to the other.

"I looked very closely into my connector and there was a tiny, tiny, sliver of metal sticking out of one of the sides and touching the middle connector. I took my handy micro screwdriver (for turning pots in EE) and carefully removed it, and then everything worked like a charm."

I Found on another site to use a toothbrush and alcohol or vinegar to clean out the docking port. I did this and it fixed it no problem.

OOr double check that you don't have a special effect turned on somewhere and it's just trying to tell you. I had same problem and discovered that I had left "repeat song" turned on when trying to learn a new song yesterday. I turned it off and problem solved.

I had the same problem with no volume and Sound Effect icon being displayed after updating to iOS 8.1.1. Tried all of the solutions (toggling the side switch between mute and lock rotation, resetting, rebooting, different charger) nothing worked. I then updated ALL of the apps downloaded from the Apps Store and BAM! its working again.

Same issue here. I tried all the suggested fixes above, with no success. I started deleting apps, one at a time, starting with the most recently added, or updated. After removing "Spotify," the issue was resolved!