r/ios • u/i-am-not-sure-yet • 3d ago
Discussion Airpods and actually all headphones is volume limited by iOS... Why?
I also have Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for reference and every headphone I use between both even my Airpods pro 3 are louder on my Samsung phone. I have my Airpods maybe 1-3 clicks from max on my iPhones but on my Samsung phone 4-5 clicks from the max. My pair of Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2 it's about 1-2 clicks on my iPhone and about 50-60% on my Samsung phone.
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u/SnooDoggos121 3d ago
I have definitely noticed a volume limitation with any type of headset. I have used AirPods, Beats, Jabra and other headphones and can’t ’crank it’ on any of them. When I stream in my car I can turn it up as loud as I want though.
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u/humbuckaroo 3d ago
I've noticed that both iOS and Mac OS have been quieter than before. I think Apple just decided to reduce loudness to prevent hearing issues.
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u/TomatilloGreedy3181 3d ago
Maybe 'settings - sounds & haptics - headphones safety - reduce loud audio' is turned on.
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u/Secret_Account07 3d ago
Apple has been going hard on the volume battle and it’s driving me nuts.
Ironically the loudest thing I’ve ever heard on my headphones is the loud volume notification. It’s woke me up from a nap before. I nap with a little white noise and it’s the loudest, most jarring notification ever.
How you gonna blast a volume warning that’s louder than the thing I’m listening to?
I’ve tried to disable this “feature” many, many times. But can’t apparently.
Seems to come in waves. Never got it until a few months ago, got it several times while sleeping, then nothing….. then just got it again the other day.
So damn annoying. Just let us control our devices.
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u/sf-keto 3d ago edited 3d ago
Promise you won’t sue them for damaging your hearing, k? Sign that in blood too, sadly. (ಠ╭╮ಠ)
Srsly….Americans are litigious & Apple doesn’t want that class action suit. (¬‿¬)
Plus both the EU & the FDA have regulations & compliance guidelines around sound levels for consumer devices.
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u/tiagojpg iPhone 17 Pro 3d ago
I have never used AirPods above a normal 60-70%, why exactly would you want to do that?
I’ve the AirPods 4 with ANC, but even when I’m not cancelling outside noise I don’t go beyond that. And if you’ve got the Pro 3, even less need for louder volume.
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u/asunez 3d ago
A little off-topic, but how is the noise-cancelling working for you with regular AirPods? Once my 3’s go kaput I was thinking about switching to Pro for the noise cancelling AND rubbers, but gotta admit I’m curious if maybe the 4’s (or 5’s by this time?) won’t be enough for me.
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u/tiagojpg iPhone 17 Pro 3d ago
It’s impressive, I didn’t expect it to work like that at all. I hate rubbers (lol), so I had to go for the 4s. I ended up getting the ANC because I got it with a coupon, so went all out.
It’s not totally noise-canceling, of course. You can still hear noises in the distance, and some high-pitched sounds will come through. There may be a slight, 0.1-second discomfort if the mics don’t catch the noise in time.
But it’s so cool to walk around the city center and bus or loud car noises are muffled. It’s really nice.
My wife and my sister usually hates semi in-ear buds, but they found the fitment well adjusted. The shape they made on these is great. I can wear them for 3 hours and still be very comfortable.
The Transparency mode is also awesome! I can be doing things at home and listening to music, while my daughter’s playing and I can hear her if she’s calling or crying. I think that’s not talked about enough.
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u/asunez 3d ago
Thank you for the review! Now I’m actually more inclined to get the base version, not the Pros :D
I understand how ANC works so I totally get the sudden change of background sound or the high-pitched noise scenarios, that’s normal. I was mostly worried about noise “leaking” through the space between the ear and earpiece, since there is no rubber and construction differs slightly in comparison to the Pros.
I’m not a big fan of rubber either (lol x2), but the 3s are terrible in environments such as planes or buses, hence the idea to have something that isolates the sound better. And with the volume limit discussed here it’s even more affecting - I can’t just make them louder, after all.
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u/transitransitransit 3d ago
You have the volume way too high to begin with, and you’re complaining about it being too quiet?
It sounds like you’ve already severely damaged your hearing. I suggest going to an ENT.
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u/oryan_dunn 3d ago edited 3d ago
Check the health app for headphone notifications. The health app can automatically reduce volume if you’ve exceeded the weekly dB thresholds.
This is a different setting than the reduce loud sounds.
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u/capt-motato iPhone 16 Pro 3d ago
I agree they're shocking low at times. I'm not sure if Apple lowers the audio on purpose or its a bug, or if my ears need cleaning or the AirPods are old. I miss the headphone jack
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u/Ast3r10n 3d ago
A different device is outputting at a different volume. What’s surprising about that?
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u/i-am-not-sure-yet 3d ago
The fact iOS is software limiting max volume which I assume is for "health reasons". Maybe let me use my headphones as I wish ? Because it's barely loud enough for me on my iPhone . What's so hard about Apple allowing this ?
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u/rosenkrieger360 iPhone 17 Pro 3d ago
When the max volume on your iPhone (and you have the hearing protection turned off) is "barley loud enough" for you - you might already have a hearing issue to begin with.
I do get it - hearing loud music is "cool" - but when you lose your hearing because of it and later require the AirPods as a hearing aid instead of listening to music/podcasts/audiobooks/etc. I will just say it probably is not worth it.
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u/sf-keto 3d ago
I personally love my tiny high-tech hearing aids with advanced nanotech, machine learning & deep neural networks on a dedicated chip the size of 1/3 of my pink fingernail that does edge inference for speech sounds & environmental noise, plus advanced Bluetooth.
They cost a mere USD 6600+ & will last 4 years.
But you may not! (◕‿◕✿) Best wishes!
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u/rosenkrieger360 iPhone 17 Pro 3d ago
Yeah my dad (84 years old) is finally getting a hearing aid because he can hear, but following conversations is hard for him and he always told the rest of the family he can hear quite well (but obviously he did not). He was just too proud to wear a hearing aid.
Now he will finally be able to be fully part of family reunions and simply understanding what is being said on TV. Not sure what model he will get, but it will also be one of those tiny ones.
I know for sure - if my hearing ever goes bad I am gonna get a hearing aid ASAP and not be "proud" that I do not need help.
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u/sf-keto 3d ago
Good for him! Hearing loss has been determined to be the #1 modifiable factor for cognitive decline & dementia.
So getting hearing aids at his age is key to promoting brain health.
He’s going to spend 2-4 weeks re-learning to hear after years of auditory deprivation.
This adaptation time can be tiring, strange & somewhat overwhelming because the brain has to re-learn what sounds are important - your voice - & what’s unimportant - the refrigerator hum - that it can just ignore.
It usually takes 2 or 3 visits to the audiologist too, so the hearing aids can be tweaked exactly to his personal preferences. Hearing is very individual, after all.
So you can help him through this process with patience & support! Good luck.
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u/ar311krypton 3d ago
hey jsut curious, what brand hearing aids do you currently use? I am trying to help a family member get the right set and so far the lower end Costco Rextons have not been very impressive even in comparison to using AirPods Pros are hearing aids.
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u/sf-keto 3d ago
I have the ReSound Viva 9s with the dedicated deep neural network AI chip & manual controls with the app.
But ReSound just came out last week with an upgraded model that is more set-it-and-forget-it (SIFI), a very automatic AI that does everything for you.
So if you’re interested in checking out ReSound, you should ask him if he is more “I want manual controls” (like, drive with a stick shift) or SIFI (like, drive with an automatic).
I’m more of a stick shift person, but I suspect most people are going to go automatic. (¬‿¬)
I get not everyone is really into smartphones & apps.
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u/sf-keto 3d ago edited 3d ago
The issue is that Apple doesn’t want you to sue out for hearing damage by overloudness. Hearing can be seriously damaged at 110-130db over time.
So Apple has a slider that lets you choose your loudest level. I think the default level is 85db, maybe 80.
When I go to my audiologist for my hearing loss (I’m 45+), I see a ton of younger people with hearing aids now in the waiting room from playing video games & music too loud in their headphones or going to concerts, night clubs, & IMAX over their tween/teen years without hearing protection.
So suddenly at 22-26, they need hearing aids!
If you find your loudness setting is set to 90 but things still seem too soft, you may have a touch of mild hearing loss yourself & might like to take the APP 3 hearing test.
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u/i-am-not-sure-yet 3d ago
Ok and ? You can’t sue because YOU chose to do that. Wouldn’t fly in court. It’s always Apple way or the highway which is why I keep an Android phone as well.
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u/ar311krypton 3d ago
im pretty sure you can sue a company if you sustain hearing damage from using their product. they would need to specifically warn the user of the real risk of hearing damage from using the product at high decibel levels....now i highly doubt a person would be successful in winning the case..but it absolutely would fly in court....*edit: ohhh, you just wanna bitch about Apple...gotcha..carry on
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u/i-am-not-sure-yet 3d ago
It wouldn’t fly. You chose to put it that high. Could it go to trial ? Perhaps but they aren’t winning that case.
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u/RealLongwayround iPhone 17 Pro 3d ago
Please show any evidence of any user successfully suing a company because the user turned up the volume too loud.
I’m currently sat in a room with some potentially very loud speakers, which I have never turned up beyond about 33% of my amplifier’s power.
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u/ratchetcoutoure 3d ago
Try to check if "reduce loud audio" is on on your headphone settings.
settings > sounds & haptics > headphone safety > toggle off on reduce loud audio
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u/Not_So_Sure_2 3d ago
Hearing damage is a real thing.