To turn up volume on wireless earbuds, use the touch controls or physical buttons on the earbuds themselves, adjust the volume on your connected phone or tablet, or use a voice assistant. The specific method depends on your earbud model, but most modern wireless earbuds offer on-device volume control once properly configured.
Why can't I turn up the volume on my wireless earbuds?
If pressing the volume buttons on your earbuds or phone doesn't seem to increase the sound, two common issues are usually at fault. First, Bluetooth Absolute Volume syncs the earbud volume directly to your device's volume slider. If your earbuds and phone have independent volume levels, you may need to turn up the volume on both the earbuds and the connected device separately. Second, many earbuds require you to customize the touch controls in a companion app before on-device volume adjustment works. Check the manufacturer's app to assign volume functions to specific gestures. If you own a pair of JBL earbuds, the steps to turn up volume on JBL wireless earbuds include model-specific app settings that can override these general fixes, but first make sure you pair JBL wireless earbuds correctly so the app can detect them.
How to turn up volume on Apple AirPods
On AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), AirPods 3, and AirPods 4, place your thumb on the stem of either AirPod and swipe up on the force sensor with your index finger to increase volume. Swipe down to decrease it. For AirPods 1st and 2nd generation, there are no direct volume controls on the earbuds themselves. You must use the volume buttons on your connected iPhone or iPad, or activate Siri by saying "Hey Siri, turn up the volume" or "Hey Siri, set volume to 80 percent." This voice command method works across all AirPods models.
How to turn up volume on Samsung Galaxy Buds
Volume control on Samsung Galaxy Buds is customized through the Galaxy Wearable app. Open the app, select your earbuds, and go to the touch controls or gestures settings. Set the "Touch and hold" gesture for either earbud to "Volume up" or "Volume down." On models like the Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds2, Galaxy Buds2 Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, or Galaxy Buds Pro, you can also enable the "Double tap earbud edge" feature in the Labs settings of the Galaxy Wearable app. Once enabled, double-tapping the edge of the earbud adjusts the volume.
How to turn up volume on Google Pixel Buds
On Google Pixel Buds Pro and Pixel Buds Pro 2, swipe forward on the face of either earbud to raise the volume and swipe backward to lower it. The Pixel Buds A-Series and Pixel Buds 2a do not support swipe volume controls. For these models, you must adjust the volume on your connected phone or use the Google Assistant by saying "Hey Google, turn up the volume."
How to turn up volume on Bose and other earbuds
For Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and other Bose models, on-device volume controls must be enabled first within the Bose Music app. Ensure your earbuds have software version 4.2.4 or later, then open the app to activate the touch volume feature. For other brands like Sony, JBL, or Sennheiser, check the companion app (e.g., Sony | Headphones Connect, JBL Headphones App) to customize touch controls and assign volume functions to specific gestures. This is especially important if you use JBL wireless earbuds, as the JBL Headphones App walks you through assigning tap or swipe gestures for volume.
Basic fixes for low earbud volume
- Clean the ear tips and speaker grills to remove earwax or debris that blocks sound output.
- Check your device's volume limits or sound settings to ensure media volume is not capped.
- Ensure a secure fit by trying different ear tip sizes; a proper seal improves volume and bass.
- Reset the earbuds to their default settings if volume remains low after other steps.
