A broken volume button is often unexpected and can be annoying to deal with. After all, we don’t realize how much we use it until we can’t use it anymore. Not being able to turn your volume down if an annoying video plays or if your song is too loud can also be embarrassing.
If your iPhone buttons aren’t working properly, you should fix them as soon as possible. Luckily, there are plenty of solutions and you can do many of them yourself.
Make Sure Your iPhone’s Volume Buttons Are Enabled
Some might not be aware of this, but there is a setting that turns your iPhone’s volume buttons on and off. This setting is already enabled by default on all devices, but it’s possible someone can turn it off without realizing it.
To check this, head to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and enable Change with Buttons. If this isn’t enabled, this is why your volume buttons aren’t working. If it’s already enabled, proceed to the next fix.
Are the Buttons Stuck? Try Cleaning Them Using Alcohol
We use our phones so much that dirt and grime can sometimes get under the buttons, especially if you aren’t using a case. Press down on your buttons a few times to check if your buttons are stuck. If they’re stuck or don’t seem to click down, you might need to clean them.
To clean your buttons, take a cotton swab and dip it in isopropyl alcohol. The best option for cleaning electronics is 99 percent isopropyl alcohol as it dries quickly and doesn’t contain much water. It also removes dirt and grime by breaking up oils.
Related: How to Clean Your Dirty iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide
Use the cotton swab to clean around your volume button the best you can. If you can push down on the buttons, doing so might help you clean it better. There’s no need to overdo it with the alcohol, as it doesn’t take much to work.
After cleaning, wait 15 minutes for the alcohol to try. If your volume buttons are working now, great! If they are only working a bit better, that’s a sign that they were dirty and you should keep cleaning them. If still they aren’t working at all, you might want to move on to the next fix.
Reset or Restore Your iPhone
Sometimes, firmware updates can change how the buttons on our phones work. This is especially true for older iPhone models. If you recently updated your iPhone and the volume buttons stopped working, try restarting your device by turning it off and on again.
If this doesn’t work and you did recently update your phone, you might need to reset your device. This means backing up your iPhone and erasing all the content settings. A full reset might also work if your volume button stopped working after an app download or a jailbreak attempt.
Related: How to Back Up Your iPhone or iPad
To do this, first, you’ll need to back up your device. Then you will go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
This will wipe your phone clean and essentially make it like new. Before restoring a backup, go into the device and test the volume buttons. If they work, restore your backup.
There are some cases where restoring your backup might make them not work again. If that’s the case, it might have been an app you tried to download or your backup could be corrupted. Sadly, this means starting from scratch, unless you have an older backup you can try restoring.
If your photos and contacts are in iCloud you won’t need to transfer those over manually.
Update Your iPhone to the Latest Version of iOS
While updating your phone can sometimes cause a problem with your volume buttons, not updating can also cause problems. Outdated iPhones might not work with the latest apps and the volume controls might not work correctly as a result.
There’s also a possibility that a previous Apple update you installed is buggy, and updating again could fix the problem.
To be safe, try updating your device to see if this works. You can update your device by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Here, you can see if a new update is available or if your device is up to date.
Control Your iPhone’s Volume Without Using Volume Buttons.
If you use apps like Spotify, you can control the volume within the app without a physical button. If all else fails, there are still ways to control your volume without using the buttons. The easiest way is to use the Control Center.
By sliding down from the top-right corner of your iPhone, you can open the Control Center and adjust your volume. If your iPhone has a Home button, you may need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen instead.
If you have AirPods, you can still tap your AirPods to raise or lower volume without the need for a volume button. Other Bluetooth headphones can control volume as well. This means that you won’t have to keep going to your phone when you want to change the volume.
Control the Volume With AssistiveTouch
If you are looking for another way to control the volume, consider using AssistiveTouch. You can set the AssistiveTouch button to open a menu to control your volume on screen or have it either turn up or down when tapped.
To use it, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. Here, you can set your device to turn the volume down with one tap and turn it up it with two.
Getting Your Volume Buttons Repaired
If cleaning your buttons and resetting your iPhone doesn’t fix the volume buttons, then you most likely need to get the buttons repaired. This is especially true if you recently damaged your phone or if it was exposed to water.
If your iPhone is under warranty, take it to the nearest Apple Store and your repair will most likely be free.
Related: AppleCare+ Warranty: What Are Your Options and Is It Worth It?
If your phone isn’t under warranty, you will need to pay for a repair out of pocket.
Will Apple Discontinue the Volume Button?
With the Home Button and the headphone jack now discontinued, it’s logical to assume that one day the volume buttons might disappear too. For now, the volume buttons remain. While they don’t break often, it’s bothersome if they do.
Luckily, the solutions mentioned above will fix your iPhone volume buttons in most cases, and you’ll be able to change your volume again in no time.
