Fixed: Why Does My Volume Keep Going Down by Itself?

Ever been listening to music on your phone and had the volume turn down on its own? This is a common problem that plagues many iPhone users. But why does your volume keep going down by itself? In this article, we’ll go over the possible reasons why this might be happening and how you can prevent your iPhone from adjusting the volume by itself.

Why Does My Volume Keep Going Down by Itself?

If you have an iPhone X or later (excluding iPhone SE), an iPad Pro 11-inch, or iPad Pro 12.9-inch, your device has a TrueDepth camera. The TrueDepth camera is used for Face ID and can also detect when you’re looking at the screen. As part of that process, your iPhone also includes Attention Aware Features, which, as the name implies, check whether you're paying attention to your screen.

Attention Aware Features check whether you are paying attention to the device and use that information to adjust specific settings, including the volume of alerts. If you’re looking at the display, Attention Aware Features will automatically lower the volume since you don’t need to hear notifications if you’re already looking at the screen. For more iPhone troubleshooting advice, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

How to Disable Attention Aware Features

If you do not want Attention Aware features to adjust the volume of alerts, you can disable this feature in the Settings app:

1. Open Settings, and tap Face ID & Passcode.
2. You will likely be prompted to enter your passcode. Do so now.
3. Scroll down to Attention Aware Features, and tap the toggle to enable or disable this feature.

Disabling this setting should fix it when your iPhone volume keeps going down. However, if you use AirPods Pro, there are a couple of settings that can dynamically adjust your volume.

How to Adjust iPhone Volume Settings for AirPods Pro

Why does my volume keep going up by itself? If you use AirPods Pro, and notice the volume of media going up or down while listening to music or watching videos, the issue might be your AirPods Pro settings:

1. With your AirPods connected, open the Settings app and tap your AirPods Pro.
2. Scroll down to Audio. There are a few toggles here that can auto-adjust the volume.
3. Personalized Volume analyzes your environment and raises or lowers the volume depending on the sound around you.
4. Conversation Awareness detects when you’re speaking to someone and will lower the volume of media (and eventually pause it if you are listening to a podcast).
5. Reduce Loud Sounds does not reduce the volume of your device. Instead, it reduces real-world sounds that could damage your hearing, such as sirens or construction. I recommend leaving this one on.

Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness are two iPhone volume settings that can change your device's sound levels. Disabling them should fix your iPhone volume turning down.