Q: IOS 5.1.1. update bug (Volume Control)

Hours of resetting, switching on/off to no avail. Well, a bit of a skeptic I was, but I tried the old toothbrush in the docking slot trick and low and behold, instant sound. Thinking back, the sound issue started after I used a docking station in the car that has been sitting for a while. Dust must have collected and transferred to the phone when i plugged it in. Will let everyone know if it is a permanent fix or simply coincidence, but 2 days now and no more volume issues.

I've been having the same issue as everyone on this community page. I tried all the suggestions about resetting the phone, plugging in to computer, etc etc etc. NOTHING worked. The volume control would be there (sometimes, not always) with the headphones and then when I unplugged them it would disappear again. So, I didn't think this was going to work, but I took an alcohol swab/pad that are in those little square packages and gently cleaned the inside of the dock and BAM got the volume back. No idea if this will work for everyone, maybe it is a software issue for some and not others? Hope this helps at least some of you. I'll definitely repost if the volume issue comes back again and the cleaning wasn't a long term fix. I'm thinking about also cleaning the charger part that goes into the dock when I get home from work today.

For anyone else having this problem i recommend you try connecting the handset to the dock/earphones last used, accessing your music app (itunes) using the controls on the screen of your iphone (not the controls of the dock/earphones) press pause to stop playback. Remove your handset from the dock/earphones and try locking the screen. You should hear the click and the unit should be returned to its normal functionality. I'm not sure but i believe the iphone cannot fully recognise the pause/stop playback when you do not use the screen controls. Hope this helps.

All the same issues, Sound/Ringer ICON but no slider bar, no output from the speakers. Headet worked fine.

Reset to factory, reinstall and restore, both from backup and as a new phone.

Got out my air compressor and literally blew the S* out of the iPhone.  I did one extra step, I plugged it into my car docking connector, booted the iPhone and played music in the car.  Undocked and checked, sound controls / ringer ICON and volume buttons all working now.  Rebooted and recharged and still working.

I'm good for now.

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After having this problem for a couple months, getting worse, I decided to try the cleaning of the jacks.  I used an air compressor to blow lots of air into my headphone jack and docking area.  Then I filled a bowl with 400 proof vodka, and wet a q-tip to clean the headphone jack.  I then used a toothbrush soaked in vodka to clean the dockin area.  I blew air in once more to be sure it was all dry... It's been working for a week no problem now.

Well U guys are a bit more patient than me, after finding no deffinative answer on here I rang up apple and now my phone is in a package on its way to apple.  If the answer is just down to dust then thats just rubbish.  How many years have people been using mp3s for and never had this issue.  So will wait to see how my repair goes and let ya all know.

I called Apple and tech said to return the phone and exchange it. DANG now I have to go out of my way.

its got to be this software update that caused it.

So after a hundred plus queries and replies and concern, apple didnt made some moves yet, well not unless you call them?

After the update has been made problem occured phone made decision to just turn its volume down by itself, darn...

Hope this issue would be resolve soon or darn I wasted money. Should have stick to my itouch and bb.

Hope a counter update would be made for the said issue...

Well I logged in today to see what I can do about this same problem.  After trying most of the recommended fixes with the exception of jailbreaking and using alcohol to clean the connections, I still could not get my volume to work.   The one thing that DID work is I took my air compressor and blew out both the docking port and headphone jack and IT WORKED! 

Good luck to those having this problem.  Mine started having the problem yesterday with the ringtone crackling when I would get a call.  Then today nothing,  now it seems to be back to normal.... For now!

Short of opening my iPhone 3gs and replacing the dock connector, I've gone through all of the suggested possiblities mentioned in this thread. I'm convinced the intermittent sound issues with the speakers and volume bar display are both dock connector related. I strongly suggest powering down your phone and genty cleaning both your phone's dock connector and the usb cord plug with a soft toothbrush, some comressed air, and finally, with some isopropyl alcohol. It also probably wouldn't hurt to use some compressed air in the headphone jack. That said, there could be some relation to the 5.1.1 update, but I I'm quite certain the sound/volume display problems in this thread are more than just software related. FYI, I first noticed my speaker volume issues a couple weeks ago after my phone didn't connect and open iTunes and back-up to my iMac, as it usually does. The problem was definitely dirt on the dock connector/usb cord. It's still possible I'll need to replace my phone's dock connector, but so far, thoroughly cleaning the dock connector and usb cord plug seems to have done the trick. I'll keep you posted.

Update: there could obviously be software issues relating to the dock connector, which is a complex little piece of hardware since it can communicate so much proprietary info to the IOS, like which 3rd party peripherals it will support charging (I have a DLO brand homedock connected to my stereo which plays and charges my iPod, and it will only play music but won't charge my iphone). But check this out. I took my AT&T iphone car charger and every single time I plug it into my iphone dock connector (even when the charger is disconnected from the lighter socket and isn't providing power), I can get the volume display to appear and speakers to work 100% of the time. When I unplug it, it gets random again. So it's all in the dock connector, and I think it has little to do with the headphone jack.

I ended up restoring through my iTunes back up. It's easy enough and I think that's the fix. Best of luck.

I got same problem snice from yesterday. and i did everything, Reset all, Restore to new phone, it not work. some one can help. Pls

Guys there's a solution to this, just got off the phone with apple, I had the same problem, they just instructed me to blow air into the charging area of the iphone and the actual 3.5mm jack with an air in a can or something that can blow air and wala got my volume back, he said that sometimes gunk gets build up inside. Just wanted to share the knowledge

Add me to the list of iPhone users frustrated at this bug.

I've tried everything listed here:

Reset, restore, compressed air and cleaning, going to a Genius and having them do a cleaner reset and restore, repeating the Genius restore but setting up the phone as new.

Nothing works.

This was never a problem before I updated the OS!!!!

Please fix this.