One airpod louder than the other

Is your right/left AirPod sounding a little louder than the other? You may be dealing with a frequent problem faced by AirPod users. The reason why is one AirPod louder than the other can be attributed to a slew of physical and software-level issues.

Why is one AirPod louder than the other? One of the usual suspects could be an uneven adjustment in balance. Your AirPods will most likely sound louder on one side if you have the balance adjusted to the left or right. We suggest checking audio settings on your device to fix the balance. Just go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing to adjust the balance towards the middle.

This guide will show you exactly how to fix an AirPod if one of them is louder than the other.

Why is one airpod louder than the other?

You’re having a good time listening to your favorite tracks on your AirPods, but the sound doesn’t quite feel right. One AirPod has a significantly louder sound than the other, making you wonder if your AirPods are broken. Not likely. Let us explain why.

Are My AirPods Broken?

It is hard to determine if one AirPod is louder than the other due to a software or hardware issue. An imbalanced audio signal, a connection fault, or a damaged AirPod may be causing the problem.

An overwhelming quantity of junk might have accumulated in one of your AirPods, which is the most likely source of the problem. Generally, the material is earwax that has accumulated in the primary speaker of your AirPod over time.

We’ll go over how to clean your AirPods thoroughly, how to detect and solve a possible software bug, and how to have your AirPods fixed if they’re damaged. Just keep scrolling.

How to fix one airpod louder than the other?

There are several troubleshooting methods that you should try to fix — why is one AirPod louder than the other. Try each of the methods one-by-one until the balance returns to your AirPods.

Clean AirPods and Charging Case

Damage to the hardware of your AirPods or Charging Case might occur if dirt, dust, or other material enters them. Your AirPods might not even charge correctly if your AirPods charging case gets clogged with debris.

You’ll need to use a lint-free cloth to clean the surface. Tissue or fabric that will shred inside your gadgets is not acceptable material for wiping them down.
Use the towel to clean your AirPods and Charging Case gently.
You can use a fresh toothbrush to remove more compact particles.

Check Audio Balance

When you’re listening to music or watching your favorite television show, audio balance is the volume of sound that comes out from the left side and right side of your earbuds. Your earbuds will sound louder on one side of the AirPods if the balance is adjusted to the left or right.

To make sure you are listening to the best quality audio on your AirPods, you should check if the balance is adjusted in the middle to keep the audio levels in check on both left and right earbuds.

How to check the audio balance on AirPods:

Open Settings on your iPhone
Now, tap Accessibility > Audio/Visual
Drag the slider to the center to restore the audio balance to its default setting

Restart iPhone

Allowing your iPhone to restart enables it to begin anew the next time it is powered up. Restarting your iPhone can occasionally solve minor software issues.

How to restart iPhone

Press and hold the power button on your iPhone and wait for the power off slider to appear on your screen.
Swipe the power slider towards the right to turn off your iPhone.
Now, restart your iPhone after waiting 30 seconds by pressing/holding the power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

How to restart iPhone if the power button is damaged

Open Settings > General
Scroll to the bottom and tap the Shut Down option
Wait for the slider and slide it to the right to turn off your iPhone
To restart, plug your iPhone into the charger, and it will turn on automatically

Reset AirPods

To solve minor software flaws, such as connection difficulties or rapidly dwindling battery life, you should consider resetting your AirPods. When you reset your AirPods, you get a “new start,” as you would with an iPhone. Resetting your AirPods is a simple process.

How to reset AirPods

Press and hold your AirPods Charging Case’s Setup button
Wait for the status light to flash amber color and then white
Once it starts flashing white color, release the setup button
Your AirPods are now successfully reset

Now, you need to pair your AirPods again with your iPhone. Once paired, check if the issue of one AirPod sounding louder has been resolved.

Reset All Settings

When you tap on Reset All Settings on your iPhone, you don’t lose any private data, but you do return the Settings app to its factory default settings. All of your applications, images, and contacts will remain on your iPhone, but you’ll have to tweak your battery settings, re-enter your Wi-Fi password, and more.

As a rule of thumb, many iPhone issues can be traced back to faulty or corrupted Settings app files. Unfortunately, resetting the Settings app to the factory default setting won’t fix every iPhone software issue. Still, it is a common cure for Apple users since it solves many issues that would be difficult to handle manually.

How to reset all settings on iPhone

Open the Settings > General > Reset
Now, tap Reset All Settings
You will get a prompt to enter your iPhone’s passcode, type your passcode to proceed
Now, you will again have to tap the Reset All Settings option
Once the function kicks in, you will see a progress bar
Wait for your iPhone to restart after the process finishes

Suck Out The Earwax

You can adjust AirPods volume by sucking the AirPod’s main speaker, which can be done by holding the AirPod, placing a thin towel over the mesh, and sucking it to get the dirt out.

Continue to suck on it and then check your weak-sounding AirPod if you can see a noticeable improvement in the quality of your AirPods sound.

Because the AirPods build ear wax, any outbound sound is muffled, making this method very effective. Marie-Claude Leblanc first posted this method on the Apple Support Communities thread. And since then, several users have stood by the method and extended their verification that it genuinely works.

Just be careful to suck on it using a tiny towel in between your teeth. Every time you blow into the AirPod, simply wipe it clean with the towel you’ve provided.

Calibrate Airpods With iPhone

You may need to calibrate your AirPods and iPhone. Sometimes AirPods stop using the broad gamut of audio capabilities. This may appear to be a complex problem to resolve, but it is pretty simple.

How to calibrate AirPods with iPhone

Take out your AirPods and begin playing music.
Turn the iPhone’s volume to the lowest using volume buttons. The AirPods should be completely silent at this point.
Now disable Bluetooth on your iPhone. Keep your AirPods inserted in your ears at all times.
Begin playing music again but on iPhones speakers. Turn down the volume to the lowest again.
Reconnect your AirPods. Enable Bluetooth on your iPhone from the notification panel. You may also need to visit the Settings app, tap “Bluetooth,” then press “AirPods” to re-enable them.

Your AirPods should now be calibrated appropriately with your iPhone. Play music on your AirPods to check if it resolves the sound issues.

Contact Apple Support For Repair

The only thing left to answer — why is one AirPod louder than the other is contacting Apple support and sending your AirPods for repair. Now, you have two options here; you can either visit Apple’s genius bar in your city or use Apple’s mail-in service to send your device for repair.

You may schedule a consultation at the Genius Bar at your nearest Apple Store by visiting Apple’s website. You may also use the online support service provided by Apple for mail-in repair and telephonic support.

Make sure that you’re still eligible for a return or refund at the store from where you purchased. If you’re able to get your hands on a new pair of AirPods in the store, the exchange procedure is generally faster than going via Apple’s repair service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you know why is one AirPod louder than the other, it is time to check out other questions related to the issue.

How do I fix one AirPod louder than the other?

If one AirPod sounds louder than the other, there is an issue with the audio balance setting. To fix that, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing, adjust the balance slider for left and right channels by keeping it in the middle.

Why is one AirPod quieter than another?

If one AirPod has a low volume, you need to check if the mesh on each AirPod is clean. If you find debris or any other dirt on your AirPods, clean them using a lint-free cloth or a new toothbrush.

How do I fix quiet AirPods?

You can fix quiet AirPods by first cleaning the mesh on each AirPod, checking the audio balance in the settings, and calibrating your AirPods with your device. If nothing works, you should contact Apple support.

How do you clean wax out of AirPods?

You can clean wax by using a lint-free cloth or a toothbrush. Additionally, you can use a cotton bud or a toothpick to scrub the wax from the mesh. Some users also swear by sucking the wax out of AirPods using a towel. Keep the towel on the AirPods mesh and suck the wax using your mouth.

Conclusion

Apple AirPods is one of the most popular wireless earbuds on the market, and they are the trendsetters in every way. Of course, like every other device, they can run into minor issues like — Why is one AirPod louder than the other — but there’s always a fix around such issues.

We hope our guide helps you in resolving the issue with your AirPods. If not, you must get in touch with Apple support.