Tech Reference

7 ways to make your iPhone speakers louder

Written by Dave Johnson
smartphone iphone speaker
Your iPhone can become louder when you alter a few settings, or reposition the device. Chinnapong/Getty Images
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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 your needs, here are a few ways you can try to make your iPhone speakers sound louder.

Adjust the EQ Settings on your iPhone

The Music app’s settings on iPhone, with the “EQ” option highlighted.
Tap “EQ” in the “Audio” section. Stefan Ionescu/Insider

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. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 

2. Scroll down and tap Music.

3. In the Audio section, tap EQ.

4. On the EQ page, tap Late Night.

Increase your volume level in Spotify

The “Playback” settings of Spotify on iPhone, with the “Loud” option highlighted.
Make sure the “Volume level” is set to “Loud.” Stefan Ionescu/Insider

Similar to the Apple Music app, you can adjust the default volume setting in Spotify.

1. Open Spotify on your iPhone. 

2. Tap Settings – the small gear-shaped icon – in the top right corner.

3. Tap Playback.

4. 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.

Turn off the Reduce Loud Sounds option on your iPhone

The “Headphone Safety” settings on iPhone, with the toggle for “Reduce Loud Sounds” highlighted.
Tap the toggle for “Reduce Loud Sounds” to turn it off. Stefan Ionescu/Insider

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 

2. Tap Sounds & Haptics or Sounds.

3. In the Headphone Audio section, tap Headphone Safety.

4. Make sure the toggle switch for Reduce Loud Sounds is not turned on. If it is, turn it off by tapping on it.

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.

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.

Don't cover the speaker

If you're holding your iPhone, make sure your hand is not covering the speaker to prevent muffling its sound.

Connect your iPhone to a speaker

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

Best bluetooth speakers

Woman holding Bose SoundLink Revolve speaker - best Bluetooth speaker for portability
Bose

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dave june
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.