What does system volume control on Android?

Android allows users to control the system volume through various settings and options. The system volume refers to the master volume level that affects sound output from various sources on an Android device. This includes things like ringtones, media playback, notifications, alarms and system sounds. The system volume control acts as a global volume slider that users can adjust to make all sounds on their device louder or quieter. There are also more granular controls available to change the volume of specific sound sources individually.

Media Volume

The media volume controls the volume level of music, videos, games, and other media played on your Android device. This allows you to adjust the loudness of media playback separately from your ringtone or notification sounds.

You can control the media volume in a few ways on Android:

• Pressing the physical volume buttons on the side of your phone while media is playing. This will bring up an onscreen volume slider to adjust media volume specifically.
• Going into ‘Settings’ -> ‘Sound’ and adjusting the ‘Media volume’ slider.
• Using the volume tiles and sliders in the Quick Settings panel while media is playing.

Controlling the media volume independently of ringtone or alarm volume allows you to turn up music loud without affecting your ringer, or mute video playback while still hearing call and notification sounds. It gives precise control over the loudness of consuming media.

Some devices may have options to make the volume buttons always control media volume rather than ringer volume, under Sound Settings. There are also apps that can provide more advanced media volume controls.

Call Volume

The call volume on Android controls the volume level for phone calls. This allows you to set the loudness when on a phone call independently from the media or notification volumes.

You can adjust the call volume using the volume buttons on the side of your Android device while on a call. The volume buttons will control the call volume slider specifically during a call. This lets you quickly turn the call volume up or down as needed.

In the Settings app under Sound & vibration > Volume, you can also control the default call volume level. This sets the starting point for call volume before you adjust it with the volume buttons during a call.

Some Android devices from manufacturers like Samsung also have advanced call volume controls. This includes separating the volume for the speaker vs. the earpiece during calls.

Overall, the call volume setting focuses specifically on controlling volume levels while on phone calls. It gives users an independent way to adjust loudness that is tailored for phone call audio.

Alarm Volume

The Alarm Volume controls the volume level for all alarms set through the Clock app or other alarm apps on Android. This allows you to set the loudness of alarms separate from your regular media or call volumes.

When an alarm goes off, you can temporarily adjust the volume by using the physical volume buttons on your Android device. However, to permanently change the default volume for all alarms you need to go into the alarm settings.

For Samsung Galaxy devices, you can edit the alarm volume by going into the Clock app, selecting the specific alarm, and adjusting the volume slider in the alarm details screen. This overrides the system media volume and lets you customize the loudness for each alarm.

On other Android devices, you may need to toggle off the “Vibrate” option in the Clock app settings to allow the alarm volume slider to work independently. By default, alarms may use the system “Notification Volume” if vibration is enabled.

So in summary, the Alarm Volume on Android allows you to control the loudness for any alarms from the Clock app or other apps. Using the volume buttons when an alarm sounds provides temporary adjustment, while customizing the default in the alarm details screen sets the regular alarm loudness.

Notification Volume

The Notification Volume controls the volume level for notifications such as incoming calls, messages, email alerts, calendar events, and other app notifications. This allows you to set the volume for notifications separately from your device’s media volume. You can find the Notification Volume slider in the Sound & Vibration settings on your Android device.

To adjust the Notification Volume on Android:

1. Open the Settings app and go to Sound & Vibration.
2. Under Volume, you will see the Notification Volume slider. Drag this left or right to lower or raise the volume.
3. You can also press the Volume buttons on your device when a notification is playing to quickly adjust the volume just for that notification.
4. Some Android devices allow you to set the Notification Volume to vibrate only if you do not want to hear notification sounds.

Adjusting the Notification Volume allows you to control how loud or quiet you want sounds from notifications to be. Keeping notifications at a lower volume can help avoid disturbances while still allowing you to receive alerts on your device.

System Volume Settings

The system volume controls are located in the Settings app on Android devices. To access the system volume controls, open the Settings app and go to the “Sound & vibration” or “Sounds and vibration” section (the exact name varies by device manufacturer).

In this section, you’ll find sliders to control the volume for Media, Call, Ring and Alarm sounds. The “Media” volume controls music, videos, games and other media. The “Call” volume controls the volume during phone calls. “Ring” controls the ringtone and notification volumes. And “Alarm” controls the volume level for alarms.

There is also typically a “System volume” slider that controls the master volume for the device. Adjusting this slider will raise or lower the volume levels for all system sounds together. According to Google Support, the system volume controls “music, videos, games, and other media,” “ringtones and alerts,” and “alarms.”

So in summary, the Settings app contains individual volume sliders for different sound types, as well as a master system volume slider to control the overall volume level on an Android device.(Source)

Volume Buttons

The physical volume buttons on Android devices allow users to control the system volume for sounds like media, ringtones, notifications, and alarms (Source). Pressing the volume up button will increase the volume, while pressing the volume down button decreases it. The volume buttons by default control the media volume, but users can configure them to control ringtone or alarm volumes instead (Source).

Long pressing the volume buttons will open the system volume panel, allowing users to switch between controlling media, calls, alarms, or notifications. From this panel, users can also access the main system sound settings to change volumes for each type of audio separately. The volume buttons provide a quick and convenient way to adjust audio levels on an Android device.

Per App Volume

One of the key features of Android’s system volume control is the ability to set custom volume levels for individual apps. This allows you to turn up the volume for music apps, while keeping game volumes lower, for example. There are a few different ways to configure per-app volumes on Android devices:

Some Android skins like Samsung’s OneUI have built-in per-app volume controls in their system settings. You can find these under Sound & Vibration > Volume, and toggle on “Individual app volumes” to customize each app’s volume. See this Reddit thread for details.

There are also dedicated apps like Volume Control on the Play Store that add per-app volumes if your Android skin doesn’t have this feature. These work by intercepting an app’s audio stream and applying custom mixing before outputting to the system volume.

Setting independent volumes for apps is useful for personalizing your audio experience on Android. It prevents loud apps from dominating and allows finer control over notification sounds, media volumes, and more.

Other Volume Controls

In addition to the master system volume, Android also allows users to control other volume levels individually, including ringer, media, in-call, and alarm volumes (https://techwiser.com/ways-to-change-the-volume-on-android-without-buttons/).

The ringtone and notifications volume can be adjusted separately from media volume. To change ringtone volume, go to Settings > Sound and vibration > Phone ringtone. Use the slider to control the volume level. This adjusts the loudness for ringtones, notifications, and alarms without affecting media playback volume.

During a phone call, users can adjust the in-call volume using the volume buttons on their device or on-screen controls. This allows for controlling the volume of the caller without affecting the ringer or media. Some devices also have a separate in-call volume control in the Settings menu.

For alarm volumes, open the Clock app, select an alarm, and adjust the volume slider under that specific alarm’s settings. This tunes the volume level for alarms and timers independently.

Therefore, by utilizing the various volume controls under Sound settings or within certain apps, users can customize volume levels for different audio types as needed.

Conclusion

System volume controls on Android allow you to adjust the volume for different types of audio playback and notifications on your device. The main system volume slider controls the volume for media like music, videos, and games. You can set independent volume levels for calls, alarms, and notifications. Volume buttons on your device can be configured to control either ringtone or media volume depending on your preference. Many apps also have their own volume controls to override the system volume. Understanding how to manage volumes settings for different audio types is key to customizing your Android experience.

In summary, Android provides granular control over volume for media, calls, alarms, notifications, and individual apps. The main system volume adjusts media while volume buttons and per app settings allow further customization. Overall, Android system volume gives you flexibility to control audio playback and notifications to suit your needs.