How can you make your iPhone speaker louder and more powerful?

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

By nature, most phone speakers don’t pack too much of an audible punch, and the iPhone is no different. If you don’t want to use headphones, there are a few tricks to boost your iPhone speaker’s volume.

Some solutions are more physical, while others involve minor settings tweaks. All will help you listen to music or podcasts in a noisy environment.

Are you tired of constantly squinting your ears? Let’s discuss how to make your iPhone speaker louder.

Physically make your iPhone speaker louder

When wanting to increase the volume of your iPhone speaker, you should ensure that you’ve physically optimized the device for maximum audio output.

What do we mean by this?

Here are four simple tips you can use to make your iPhone speaker louder:

1. Crank the volume up as loud as necessary.
2. Ensure that nothing, including your case, is obstructing the speaker.
3. Check the speaker for dust and debris and clean if necessary.
4. Position your iPhone so the speaker is pointed towards you.

Let’s discuss each tip in more detail.

Firstly, it may sound obvious, but you should crank the volume up as loud as necessary to hear what you’re playing. The volume up/down buttons are on the side of the phone.

Next, you should ensure that nothing is obstructing the speaker at the bottom of your device. The speakers on most iPhones are at the bottom right and above the screen in the notch.

Most quality cases will give your speaker plenty of room to breathe, but you should always double-check just in case.

Additionally, you should examine your phone’s speaker for any dust or debris, which can reduce sound quality and volume, and clean if necessary.

Finally, the placement of your iPhone will affect how well you can hear its output. For example, if the speaker is facing away from you, the audio won’t sound as loud and clear as it would if the speaker were aimed at your head.

Avoid trying to jam the speaker directly into your ear, but good positioning makes a world of difference.

Adjust EQ settings to make your iPhone speaker louder

If everything is A-OK on the physical front, it’s time to turn to software to fix your soft-spoken speaker. The tips in this section apply to Apple Music and Spotify users only, as the settings we’re going to tweak won’t universally affect your device.

Make Apple Music louder

If you’re an Apple Music user, there are a couple of settings you can adjust that can boost audio volume.

Firstly, you should switch off Sound Check if it’s enabled. Sound Check forces all songs in Apple Music to play at the same volume, which is useful but could be causing your low-volume woes.

When it comes to picking an EQ setting, you should test the two recommendations and see which one gives you the more powerful audio punch.

Make Spotify louder

If you’re a premium Spotify user, there are a couple of settings you can tweak to boost audio volume.

Firstly, you can tell your app to play all audio louder, which is exactly what we want.

To boost Spotify’s overall volume, follow these steps:

1. Launch the Spotify app and tap the Settings (gear) icon.

2. In the Playback section, tap the current selection for Volume level.

3. Select Loud.

Next, if you’re still having audio issues, you should switch off audio normalization by following these steps:

1. Launch the Spotify app and tap the Settings (gear) icon.

2. In the Playback section, toggle off Enable Audio Normalization.

Audio normalization forces all audio to play at the same volume, which can cause some tracks to play quieter than they normally would.

Use a Bluetooth speaker to increase iPhone volume

If you’ve tried every tip and tweak and your iPhone still isn’t loud enough, it might be time to admit that the built-in speaker isn’t up to the task. So, what’s the alternative?

We’re going to assume you’ve already considered headphones or earphones and decided they aren’t for you. In this case, a nice, loud, portable Bluetooth speaker may be the fix you’re looking for.

Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes, so you should be able to find one that suits your specific needs. Some are even pocket-sized, so you can cart them around with you wherever you go without feeling too weighed down.

You can increase your iPhone volume in many ways

Generally, whether physical or software-based, one or some of the solutions mentioned should give your iPhone speaker the volume boost it needs.

For some of us, however, the built-in speaker just isn’t enough. We need more. Nay, we deserve more.

Sometimes, it’s OK to admit defeat and call in the heavy hardware, which, in this case, comes in the form of a slick set of headphones or a powerful Bluetooth speaker.

Because at the end of the day, we can’t expect too much from our tiny mobile devices.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• iPhone 15 to get new UWB chip; periscope lens for Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro will be thinner and lighter with better battery life 
• iPhone 15: News, rumors, leaks, pricing, and release date
• iPhone 15 with USB-C means you can kiss all your cables goodbye