Your AirPods 4 are connected, music is playing, but everything sounds like it's turned down three notches. The volume bar shows 100% and it's still too quiet. Most of the time this is a software setting or a minor blockage, not a hardware failure.
The quickest check: press the volume up button on your iPhone or iPad repeatedly, or ask Siri to set the volume to 100%. If that doesn't get you there, work through the list below. I've seen these fixes cover nearly every low-volume complaint on the AirPods 4.
Check the Headphone Safety Volume Limit
iOS includes a headphone volume limit under Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety. If Reduce Loud Sounds is on, it caps the decibel level, which can make your AirPods 4 sound quieter than expected even at max volume.
Tap Reduce Loud Sounds and slide it all the way to the right (the highest limit, 100 decibels). Better yet, turn it off temporarily and test. If volume jumps back to normal, that was the culprit. You can leave it off or set a higher limit.
Clean the Speaker Meshes
Dust and earwax buildup on the AirPods 4 speaker grilles is one of the most common reasons for low volume. Even a thin layer acts like a muffler. Take a dry, soft-bristled toothbrush or a clean, dry cotton swab and gently brush the mesh openings on each earbud.
Don't use anything wet or sharp. If the mesh looks clogged after brushing, try a bit of Blu Tack rolled into a thin rope and press it lightly against the grille to pull out debris. Repeat until the mesh looks clean. The difference is often immediate.
Turn Off Sound Check and EQ
Apple's Sound Check normalizes song volume, which can make tracks quieter to avoid sudden loudness jumps. Go to Settings > Music and toggle Sound Check off. Then tap EQ and set it to Off. Some EQ presets, especially Loudness or Bass Booster, can actually reduce overall perceived volume while boosting other frequencies.
If you're using Spotify, check its own Sound Normalization in app settings and turn it off too. Test with the same song to see which one was holding things back.
Re-Pair Your AirPods 4
A corrupted Bluetooth profile can cause volume inconsistencies. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the info icon (i) next to your AirPods 4, and tap Forget This Device. Confirm it.
Now open the AirPods 4 case near your unlocked iPhone and follow the on-screen pairing prompt. Re-pairing clears any cached audio settings that might have gotten stuck.
Reset the AirPods 4
If re-pairing didn't do it, a full reset wipes any deeper glitch. AirPods 4 have a specific reset method: close the lid and wait 30 seconds. Open the lid, then double-tap the front of the case three times, first while the status light is on, again when it flashes white, and again when it flashes faster, until the light flashes amber then white.
Close the lid again and wait 10 seconds. Now open the case near your iPhone and re-pair as usual. This doesn't delete anything from your phone, but it does clear the AirPods' internal state.
Update the Firmware
Apple pushes AirPods firmware updates automatically through iOS, but only when your AirPods are connected and charging near your iPhone. To force a check, put your AirPods 4 in the case, plug the case into power via USB-C, and leave your iPhone nearby (within Bluetooth range) for about 10 minutes. Make sure your iPhone is on the latest iOS version, AirPods 4 require iOS 18 or later for full feature support.
There's no manual update button, but keeping the case powered and near your iPhone is the only trigger. A newer firmware can fix audio bugs that reduce volume.
Check Audio Balance and Mono Settings
Sometimes the stereo balance gets shifted to one side, making the other side sound quiet and giving the impression of overall low volume. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual and make sure the Balance slider is dead center. If it's off, drag it back to the middle.
Also check that Mono Audio is off. Mono can make stereo tracks sound quieter because it blends both channels. Toggle it off if it's on.
Turn Off Automatic Switching
AirPods 4 automatically switch between your Apple devices based on audio activity. Sometimes this causes a brief volume dip or a permanent low-volume state if the switch gets hung up. Go to Settings > Bluetooth, tap the info icon next to your AirPods 4, and tap Connect to This iPhone. Change it from Automatically to When Last Connected to This iPhone.
This prevents your AirPods from jumping to your Mac or iPad unexpectedly, which can drop the volume. Test for a while to see if it helps.
Try a Different Source Device
If your AirPods 4 sound quiet on your iPhone but fine on an iPad or Android phone, the problem is on the iPhone side, not the earbuds. Test with a second device to isolate the issue. On Android, the AirPods 4 will only use AAC or SBC codecs, which can sometimes sound quieter than on iOS, but still worth a test.
If volume is fine elsewhere, go back and recheck settings on your iPhone, something in the audio chain is limiting it. If volume is low on every device, the AirPods themselves may have a hardware issue, and you'll want to contact Apple. But that's rare after these steps.
