If one AirPod is louder than the other

When I listening to my AirPods it sounds like my right AirPod is slightly louder than the left. I even replaced the left one on an Apple Store, but still having the same issue. Unpair/Pair was another try.


Has anyone else experienced anything like this?


Thanks!!



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

AIRPODS

Posted on Apr 5, 2017 4:47 PM

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Posted on Mar 21, 2021 8:25 PM

There are two main problems that could be causing this: volume settings or dirty airpods.


The former is simply fixed by going to settings -> general -> accessibility -> audio/visual and then scrolling down to the bottom to see the scroll bar that controls how loud one speaker is over the other. Adjust it to your needs.


however, if you still find that your airpods sound muffled or that just didn’t plain work, the solution is cleaning them. You should already have a set cleaning regime for them to improve and maintain good sound quality. However, I will share mine (that includes the suction method that some mentioned here as well minus the gross sucking-with-your-mouth part).


  1. take a vacuum cleaner, shop-vac, or something of that nature with a small nosil. put the AirPod up to the nosil and turn the vacuum on. create a suction by patching up most air pockets. hold this at 15 second increments for 2-3 times per/AirPod.
  2. next, take a toothpick and scrape the inside edges where a lot of ear wax, hair, and dirt builds up. Repeat this for ALL THREE holes on the AirPod (although you may think you don’t need to clean the other two holes, you do).
  3. Next, take sticky tack (like, the stuff you use to hang up posters) and taking a small bit, mold the sticky tack to the inside of the hole and press down to where the sticky tack is now inside the hole. Pull upwards and repeat as many times as needed (make sure to change out your sticky tack frequently and do this for all three holes).
  4. Finally, to finish this off, take a cotton swab and douse it with rubbing alcohol. Wring it out slightly and rub it all over the airpods (including inside the holes).


Now, if neither of these things work you may have broken/damaged airpods on your hands.


as shown by the image, I had the latter as my problem and this cleaning method worked really well and now my sound quality and volume is 100x better for both airpods! This is what came out of my airpods using the sticky tack, and I can only imagine what came out with the suction.

1,187 replies

Mar 30, 2019 8:42 AM in response to LarryC3747

I use some stuff that you mount pictures to the wall with. I just ball it up and it pulls the earwax right off. But now my right one is too quiet. And the right one has the most earwax to remove. I may have some that passed through the screen. I need to try the “sucking” method mentioned here in this thread. Here’s a link to what I use. Probably the wrong thing to do. 🤔


Henkel #1087306 2OZ Mount Putty... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015NGJ7DG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


Jun 8, 2020 10:55 AM in response to paulosoaresf

I’ve tried all of the answers but left AirPod is still louder than the right one 😩 but when I reduced the left side volume in Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual it now seems a bit equal.

Anyone with a better solution please help

Feb 25, 2021 5:48 PM in response to paulosoaresf

I was just having this problem and after taking it in and out of my ear and messing with hearing in the accessibility settings I look at my AirPod and there is a THICK layer of earwax so I scoop it out with a toothpick and wipe it down with a cotton swab and it works perfectly again.

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If one AirPod is louder than the other

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