5 simple ways to make your iPhone sound louder

Dave Johnson
·4 min read
smartphone iphone speaker
Your iPhone can become louder when you alter a few settings, or reposition the device. Chinnapong/Getty Images

  • You can make your iPhone louder with a few simple tricks, like changing the EQ setting for Apple Music.

  • You can also change your Spotify volume or disable the "Reduce Loud Sounds" option in Settings.

  • Placing your iPhone in a bowl or cup will help make it louder, but the best option is to connect it to a Bluetooth speaker.

  • Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Most iPhone models are capable of fairly loud volume - perhaps not enough to enjoy music through the speakers on a noisy subway, but certainly good enough for most everyday situations.

But if you find your iPhone isn't loud enough to suit you, here are a few ways you can try to make your iPhone speakers sound louder.

1. Adjust the EQ Settings on your iPhone

The EQ setting called "Late Night" normalizes the sound on your Apple Music app by making quieter sounds closer in volume to the loudest sections. This will make your iPhone louder when playing Apple Music.

  1. In the Settings app, scroll down until you see the "Music" app listed, and tap it.

  2. In the "Playback" section, tap "EQ."

    volume1
    Under "Playback," select "EQ." Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

  3. On the EQ page, tap "Late Night."

    volume2
    Select the "Late Night" option. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

2. Increase your volume level in Spotify

Similar to the Apple Music app, you can adjust the default volume setting in Spotify. Here's how:

  1. In the Spotify app, tap the small gear-shaped Settings icon in the upper-right corner.

  2. On the Settings page, tap "Playback," which should appear toward the top of the menu.

    volume3
    Go to "Playback" in the Settings menu. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

  3. Scroll down to the "Volume level" section. If "Quiet" or "Normal" is currently selected, tap the "Loud" option - a checkmark should appear beside "Loud" when it's selected.

    volume5
    Tap "Loud" and a checkmark will appear beside it. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

3. Turn off the Reduce Loud Sounds option on your iPhone

  1. In the Settings app, tap "Sounds & Haptics" or "Sounds."

  2. In the "Headphone Audio" section, tap "Headphone Safety."

    volume6
    Tap "Headphone Safety." Grace Eliza goodwin/Insider

  3. Make sure the toggle switch for "Reduce Loud Sounds" is not turned on. If it is, turn it off by swiping the button to the left.

    volume7
    Swipe the "Reduce Loud Sounds" button to the left to turn it off. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider



Note: If you're using iOS 13 or earlier, you can turn off your phone's volume limiter. In the Settings app, scroll down and tap the "Music" app. Find "Volume Limit" and make sure it's turned off. If it's on, tap "Volume Limit" and slide the volume control all the way to the right. This feature was disabled in iOS 14.

4. Position your iPhone to make it sound louder

Not all solutions are high-tech - some are common sense. Here are a couple of things that'll make your iPhone louder:

  • Position it upside down. The speaker is on the bottom, so if you tend to prop it up against a computer or phone stand so you can read the screen while you work, the speaker is firing down into the table. Turn it upside down, and the speaker will fire up, sounding slightly louder.

  • Put it in a bowl. If you rest your iPhone in a bowl, the curved base of the bowl will cause sound waves to bounce up, creating a better soundstage.

5. Connect your iPhone to a speaker

Still not loud enough? Consider connecting your iPhone to a Bluetooth speaker.

anker soundcore bluetooth speaker
Connect your iPhone with a speaker like the Anker SoundCore 2. Anker / Walmart

There are a wealth of speakers available that can increase the sound quality of your iPhone substantially, and make it louder at the same time:

  • The Amazon Echo Dot costs less than $50 and includes the Amazon Alexa AI personal assistant, which gives you a wealth of additional features in addition to just playing music (but the lack of a battery means you can only use it at home).

  • If you want something portable, the Anker SoundCore 2 costs around $40 and has the added advantage of being waterproof and including a 24-hour battery.

  • And if you want to double down on audio quality, a speaker like the Bose SoundLink Mini II offers enhanced audio performance and a 10-hour battery for $150.

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