Are your iPhone volume buttons stuck or not working? Try these ten fixes. You don’t have to be a tech wiz to fix the problem.
Are your iPhone volume buttons not working all of a sudden? iPhone volume buttons problems aren’t as uncommon as you may think. It happens to many users and can be extremely frustrating, especially for those who regularly listen to music or other audio media.
This post will guide you through some fixes that will, hopefully, solve the iPhone volume buttons problem you are experiencing.
There is nothing new about the problem of iPhone volume keys stuck or not working as it has existed on almost all iPhone models. The issue has affected many iPhone models, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, XS Max, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone SE.
Fortunately, if your iPhone volume button is stuck or not working, you don’t have to book an appointment with Apple Genius Bar just yet. Here are a handful of troubleshooting steps and fixes you can try to revive your iPhone volume key if it’s stuck or not working. If the volume button is broken, we’ll also show you how to use an iPhone without volume buttons.
Without any further delay, let’s get started.
How to fix iPhone volume buttons that are stuck or not working
1. iPhone volume buttons stuck? Remove the Case
Believe it not, there are a ton of iPhone cases (especially the cheaper and rugged ones) that lack tactile buttons. So, if you have installed a case on your iPhone, remove it and press the volume buttons to check if they are working or not. If the volume buttons are working fine, your case was the cause of the problem and not your iPhone hardware.
2. Ensure the iPhone isn’t connected to an external device via Bluetooth
If you’ve paired the iPhone with wireless headphones, a speaker, or any other device via Bluetooth, the audio could be sent to those devices.
All you have to do is open up the settings app on your iPhone, find the Bluetooth button, and check to see if it’s on. You can also dig deeper into the settings and see which Bluetooth devices the iPhone is connected to.
If the iPhone is connected to an audio device via Bluetooth, you can try a couple of things. You can disconnect or forget audio devices, but the easiest solution is to turn Bluetooth off and try using the volume buttons. If your iPhone volume buttons still don’t work, you should move on to the next solution on this list.
3. Clean the volume buttons
As you can imagine, a lot of dust, as well as lint and other debris, can make its way into the opening around the volume buttons over time. This might cause the problem, as dirt can cause the iPhone’ volume buttons to get stuck.
The first thing you should do if your iPhone volume buttons are stuck or not working is to look into the buttons to see just how dirty they are. A flashlight might come in handy for this. The next step is to try and clean them and hope that solves the issue. There are many ways to do this, and some work better than others. One option is to blow into the volume buttons, which should take care of at least some of the dust and lint found inside. You can also use a can of compressed air if you have one nearby. Be very careful when doing this, as the last thing you want to do is cause more damage to the device.
Look into the volume buttons again to see how much dust and lint you cleaned up. If things look better, try adjusting the volume to check if everything works as it should.
4. Lock the ringer and alert volumes in Settings
- Open Settings .
- Tap Sounds & Haptics (on supported models) or Sounds (on other iPhone models).
- Turn off Change with Buttons.
5. Restart your iPhone
If everything seems to be in order, but your iPhone’s volume buttons are not working, there’s another simple fix you can try, which is restarting your device. This can sometimes solve many smartphone-related problems and takes less than a minute. Just follow the steps below:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Select Shut Down.
- Press the power button to turn your iPhone back on, and then check to see if the volume buttons are working properly.
6. Adjust the volume in Control Center
When iPhone is locked or when you’re using an app, you can adjust the volume in Control Center.
Open Control Center, then drag the volume slider.
7. Use Siri to adjust the volume on iPhone
When you’re listening to songs, movies, or other media on iPhone, you can use Siri to turn the volume up or down.
Just activate Siri and say something like: “Turn up the volume” or “Turn down the volume.”
8. Make sure your iPhone is up-to-date
You might be running an old version of iOS on your iPhone. While this shouldn’t cause complications with volume buttons, it’s always worth keeping your iPhone updated to iron out potential problems. Follow the steps below:
- Head to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Hit Software Update to see if a new iOS version is available.
If the problem lies in an app—for example, volume buttons working everywhere on your iPhone except when using a specific app—check whether there’s an update to install via the App Store. If not, you could contact the app developer and ask for advice.
9. Perform a factory reset
If your iPhone volume buttons are not working after trying the above steps, there is one last thing you can do before seeking professional help. A factory reset will completely wipe your iPhone, and the complete operating system will be set to its default settings. If the problem isn’t hardware, a factory reset should fix any software bugs that might be dwelling within your iPhone’s code. A factory reset might also work if your volume button stopped working after an app download or a jailbreak attempt.
To restore your iPhone to factory settings, first, you’ll need to back up your device. Then follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings.
- Go into General.
- Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap 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.
10. Time to contact Apple Support
If none of the fixes above fixed your iPhone volume buttons problem, the issue isn’t as minor as hoped. If your iPhone is still under warranty, the best thing to do is contact Apple Support. Explain the problem to the company, and send it in for repair or replacement. This can take quite some time in some cases, but at least it’s free.
If the warranty has expired, you may have phone insurance. Just make a claim with your provider.
The third solution is the worst one. You may have to pay to get the iPhone volume buttons repaired by Apple or an authorized service center. You’ll have to open up your wallet and pay up, but at least you’ll be able to use the volume buttons again. Otherwise, you could opt for a pair of headphones. That isn’t truly a solution, but you will be able to control the volume of your iPhone.
Successfully fixed iPhone buttons not working issue
It can be annoying if your iPhone volume buttons are not working. Luckily, the solutions mentioned above will fix the problem in most cases, and you’ll be able to change your volume again in no time.