One AirPod is Louder Than the Other: Guide to Solutions

You’re playing your favorite song on your AirPods, but the sound coming from one AirPod is louder than the other.  If this situation seems all too familiar to you, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ll go over some tips you can use to fix this issue.

Do I Have a Problem with My AirPods?

When you initially discover that one AirPod is louder than the other, you’re either dealing with a hardware or a software problem causing a malfunction in your AirPods. You can have a broken AirPod on your hands, a glitch in the connectivity, or an audio imbalance. Below, we’ll go over some common solutions to one AirPod making more noise than the other. You need to determine whether your right or left AirPod is louder in order to get to the button of the issue you’re experiencing. To do this, go to the AirPods app on your phone, then select Settings, General, and then go to Accessibility.  You’ll be able to change the volume balance of the audio between the right and left AirPod using the slider under Hearing. Now that you know which one of your AirPods isn’t working properly, we can get to solving the problem.

How to Fix if One AirPod Is Louder Than the Other – 5 Steps

Step 1 – Clean Your AirPods

Your charging case and AirPods can have debris, dust, or dirt stuck in them, and this can be the reason for several hardware issues in your AirPods. For example, you might not be able to charge your AirPods if you get dust and dirt stuck in your charging case. To clean them both, you’ll need to take a few steps. The first thing you should do is get a cloth that’s soft and lint-free. Make sure that you aren’t using cloth that can tear inside the Charging Case or the AirPods. Then, go over the AirPods and the charging case with the cloth. If the dust and dirt are denser, you can use a new toothbrush or an anti-static brush to clean the debris. When you’re cleaning your AirPods or Charging Case, make sure that you don’t use abrasives, solvents, or aerosol sprays. If you want to avoid damage to your AirPods and charging case, you should regularly clean them.  Also, take care not to let your AirPods or charging case get moisture inside of them.

Step 2 – Use the Charging Case to reset the Volume balance

One of the simplest ways to fix the problem you’re experiencing with your AirPods is to reset the volume balance on your device by using the charging case. What this means is to take the louder AirPod and only use that one AirPod. After you’re done using it, put it back in the charging case, where the other AirPod should also be. Have both of the AirPods in the charging case and close it. This should immediately reset the volume balance. You need to make sure that both of your AirPods can connect to the charging case and that the devices are clean in order for this technique to work.

Step 3 – Change the Volume Settings of Your AirPods

If you’re using AirPods Pro, you should adjust the settings for the volume manually in transparency mode. Make sure that you have the latest software version of iOS. Then, use your paired device, whether it’s an iPad or iPhone to open the Settings app.  Go to Accessibility, and from there go to Audio/Visual. Once you’ve opened Audio/Visual, click on Headphone Accommodations, and then Transparency Mode. Switch on Custom Transparency Mode, and from there adjust the Transparency Balance. If you have AirPods Gen 1 or Gen 2 and you want to rebalance the volume, first make sure that you have the latest software version of iOS.  Then, use your paired device, whether it’s an iPad or iPhone to open the Settings app. Once you’ve opened the Settings app, go over to Accessibility, click on Audio/Visual, and lastly, go to Balance. Once you’ve opened Balance, you can adjust the balance of the volume between the right and the left using the slider.

Step 4 – Reset Your AirPods

When you reset your AirPods, some small software glitches such as a quickly draining battery or connectivity issues can be solved. On the back of your charging case, you’ll find the setup button which you need to press and hold. The button should be released when the status light flickers a few times in amber, and then flares in white. Once you’ve done this, your AirPods should be reset. Then, all you need to do is connect the AirPods back to your iPad or iPhone.

Step 5 – Restart Your Phone

Minor software errors and glitches can sometimes be fixed by simply restarting your iPhone (or iPad). To restart your iPhone, all you need to do is press and hold the Sleep/Wake or power button until Slide to Power Off appears on the display.  Then, slide the red power icon to the right. Once thirty seconds have passed, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again, and on the center of the screen, you’ll see the Apple logo appear.

Final Thoughts

We hope that our guide helped you find a solution if one AirPod is louder than the other. If none of the solutions we mentioned worked, then you may want to consider visiting an electronics store so they can fix your AirPods.  They can either get you a replacement for your product when you’re using the Apple Warranty, or they can detect the issue and repair them (if that’s a possibility). Make sure that the Apple Warranty is valid before you attempt to use it. Find the closest Service Provider authorized by Apple and let them help you solve the issue. 

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