How do I adjust the volume without the side buttons?
Most smartphones and mobile devices have physical volume buttons located on the sides of the device to easily adjust the volume. However, there are some situations where accessing these volume buttons may not be possible, such as if the buttons are unresponsive or damaged.
Luckily, many devices provide alternative methods to control volume without using the physical buttons. This can be incredibly useful to continue adjusting volume if the side buttons become unresponsive for any reason.
Some common ways to adjust volume without physical buttons include:
- Voice controls
- On-screen volume controls
- Buttons on wired headphones/earbuds
- Gesture and motion controls
- Accessibility settings
- Button remappers
- External control devices
- Touch sensitive surface areas
In the following sections, we will explore these alternative volume control methods that allow adjusting volume even when the physical side buttons are unresponsive.
Voice Control
Voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa allow you to control the volume hands-free using voice commands. For example, you can say “Hey Siri, turn up the volume” or “Alexa, volume level 8”. According to Google’s support article, Google Assistant lets you set the volume to a specific level from 1-10 after asking it to play media.
Similarly, if your volume is too loud or too quiet, you can tell your voice assistant “turn down the volume” or “increase volume” to adjust it. Voice control gives you a convenient hands-free way to change the volume if you don’t have access to your device’s physical buttons. Just speak to your voice assistant clearly to control the volume.
On-Screen Controls
Many apps and videos have on-screen volume controls that allow you to adjust the volume directly within the app or video player. For example, you can tap the volume icon in the corner of the YouTube app or Netflix video to bring up a volume slider and change the volume.
There are also apps you can download, such as Assistive Volume Button and Always visible volume button, that display an on-screen volume control button at all times. These can be useful if you need frequent access to volume controls and don’t want to rely on hardware keys or gestures.
Volume Buttons on Headphones/Earbuds
Many wired and wireless headphones have built-in volume controls that allow users to adjust the audio volume without accessing the device’s side buttons. This can be convenient for situations where the device itself may be out of reach.
Headphones often have plus and minus signs or up and down arrows on one earcup. Users simply tap or hold these buttons to raise and lower the volume to the desired level [1]. The volume controls directly change the audio signal which the headphones receive before it reaches the ears.
Some wireless earbuds like AirPods have touch controls on the stem which can be used to adjust volume. Users can configure these controls and choose whether a single tap, double tap, triple tap or long press raises or lowers volume as preferred.
Using headphone controls to change volume means users do not have to handle the phone itself every time audio needs to be turned up or down. This provides convenience as well as preventing unnecessary fingerprints and scratches on mobile device screens.
Gesture Controls
Some newer Android phones allow you to control the volume using gestures, without needing to use the physical volume buttons on the side of the device. One gesture that is available on certain Samsung phones like the Galaxy S Series is to twist the phone to adjust the media volume up or down.
The Gesture Volume app enables gesture control on additional Android devices. You can swipe up or down on the edge of your screen to turn the volume up or down. There are also options to customize the gesture area and sensitivity.
Gestures can provide quick and convenient access to volume controls without needing to find and hit the tiny physical buttons on your device. It does take some practice getting used to gestures, but many find it to be a useful accessibility feature or just a novel way to control your phone.
Accessibility Settings
Android includes a number of accessibility settings designed to make devices easier to use for people with disabilities. One feature allows users to control the device volume using hardware keys instead of the side volume buttons.
Specifically, Android’s Switch Access and TalkBack features allow you to change the volume by pressing the volume up or down keys while your finger is touching the screen. This provides an alternate way to adjust volume if the side buttons are broken or difficult to reach.
To enable these accessibility shortcuts:
- Open Settings and select Accessibility.
- Turn on Switch Access and/or TalkBack.
You can then change the volume by touching the screen and using the volume keys. This allows control of volume without using the side buttons.
Button Remappers
There are various apps available on Android and iOS devices that allow users to remap the functionality of hardware buttons, including the volume buttons. Some popular options include:
Button Mapper (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=flar2.homebutton&hl=en_US&gl=US). This app makes it easy to remap volume buttons to launch any app, shortcut, or custom action like controlling media playback. It can also remap other buttons like the power button to control volume instead.
The AutoInput plugin for Tasker (https://www.reddit.com/r/tasker/comments/f0gc34/volume_button_remapping_help/) also lets you remap the volume and power buttons to control volume and other actions.
So if the physical volume buttons on your device stop working or are inconvenient to access, you can use these button remapping apps to assign the same functionality to the power button or on-screen controls instead.
External Devices
You may be able connect other devices like Bluetooth speakers or smart TVs to your phone to control the volume from those devices. For example, most Bluetooth speakers have physical volume up/down buttons or touch controls on the speakers itself. If you connect your phone to a smart TV via Bluetooth or a casting system like Chromecast, then you can often control the play volume using the TV’s physical remote.
According to the Android stack overflow community, it is also possible to control your Android device’s system volume from your Windows PC using a piece of software called “Tasker.” By installing this app and creating a particular profile, you can send commands from your PC to remotely control volume. To learn more, refer to this guide.
Touch Sensitive Areas
Some phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 have touch sensitive areas along the edge of the screen that allow you to control the volume by swiping your finger. As noted on the Samsung Galaxy S5 support page, “You can set the top and bottom areas of the screen to adjust the media volume when you touch or drag your finger across them.”
This allows you to adjust volume even when the physical buttons may not be working properly. However, it’s a feature specific to certain Samsung models and not available on all Android phones.
There are some reports of users experiencing issues with overly sensitive touch controls, like on the Redmi Note 6. So sensitivity levels may need to be adjusted for optimal use of swipe gestures.
In summary, using the edge of your screen to control volume can be convenient but is limited to select devices. It provides an alternative option when hardware buttons are unresponsive.
Summary
There are a variety of ways to control your device’s volume without using the physical buttons, including:
- Voice controls like “Hey Siri” or “OK Google”
- On-screen sliders in your device’s settings or music apps
- Buttons on wired headphones or earbuds
- Gesture controls like tapping or swiping
- Customizing accessibility settings
- Third party button re-mapping apps
- Connecting external devices like Bluetooth speakers
- Touch sensitive areas on some devices
The best method depends on your specific device model and needs. We suggest trying out a few different options to find what allows you to comfortably control volume without physical buttons. Voice commands, on-screen controls, or wired headphones can provide easy hands-free adjustments. Customizations through accessibility settings or third party apps can also help if needed. With a bit of experimentation, you’re sure to find a good volume control alternative that works for you.