How to fix low speaker sound on Apple Watch (10 tips)
Learn how to fix the low speaker volume problem on your Apple Watch and enjoy the loud, clear audio again instead of inaudible calls that sound like the speaker is blown.
Complaints about sound issues plaguing Apple Watch Series 10 owners that I stumbled upon on Reddit and Apple’s forums had me do a deeper dive. Eventually, I discovered that the low speaker volume issue happens with other models, too, including the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch SE.
If your Apple Watch speaker is producing quieter than usual, muffled or unclear sound, it can happen because of any of the following reasons:
- Water is blocking the speaker.
- You use a case, cover, or lamination which blocks the speaker.
- Temporary system glitches or bugs are causing sound problems.
- Your watch developed a hardware defect or you bought a faulty unit.
The following troubleshooting tips will help fix the low volume problem, restoring the louder sound you’ve come to expect from your Apple Watch.
Eject water from the speaker
If you wash your hands without taking your Apple Watch, water may seep inside the speaker grill. Don’t worry, the Apple Watch is water resistant up to 50 meters. However, the presence of any type of liquid in the speaker will lead to faint or muffled sound. Thankfully, Apple provides a built-in option to eject water from the speaker.
Open the Control Center by pressing the side button, then touch the water droplet icon to turn on water lock mode. The watch will stop responding to touch; press and hold the Digital Crown until you hear a tone and see a message, saying “Unlocked, Ejecting Water.” Repeat these steps a few times to eject the remaining water droplets.
Make a call or play some music (Apple Watch Series 10 or later required) to see if ejecting the water has restored normal speaker volume. If so, audio should be louder and clearer.
Crank up the volume
The Apple Watch’s tiny speaker packs quite a punch, but you must set the volume to maximum. When on a phone call or listening to music, open the Control Center and drag the volume slider all the way up.
Increase the volume of ringtone and alert sounds
If you don’t hear audible notifications for incoming calls, messages, and app alerts, boost the volume of ringtones and alerts. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch and choose Sounds & Haptics, then increase the Ringtone and Alerts volume to the maximum level. Also, be sure to turn off Silent Mode.
Thereafter, scroll down and pick a loud tone for Ringtone, Text Tone, New Mail, Calendar Alerts, Reminder Alerts, and Default Alerts. As an example, you may want to replace the default “Globe” alert tone with the louder and sharper “Brilliant” and “Cheer” ones.
Stop reducing loud sounds
watchOS can reduce loud sounds to protect your hearing, just like the iPhone and iPad. However, this can make the AirPods or other headphones connected to your Apple Watch sound quieter than usual, even with the volume set to 100%. To restore the full volume, disable the option to reduce loud sounds. Open the Settings app on the device and choose Sounds & Haptics, then select Headphone Safety at the bottom and tap Reduce Loud Sounds to turn it off. If you find the Reduce Loud Sounds feature useful, you can keep it on but adjust the level to 90, 95, or 100 decibels instead of 75, 80, or 85 decibels.
Remove the cover or case
You can protect your Apple Watch from nicks and scratches with a cover, case, or thin plastic or glass film. But if it covers the speaker holes, switch to one that doesn’t or consider going naked. The case doesn’t need to be waterproof as your Apple Watch is resistant to water.
Enable app notifications
Apps can push notifications to your Apple Watch. But if notification sounds are turned off, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that the speaker volume is low. To fix this, open the companion Watch app on your paired iPhone, select the My Watch tab, and choose Notifications. Here, make sure the Sound switch is turned on for Messages, Phone, Reminders, Mail, and Calendar.
Restart your Apple Watch
While rare, temporary glitches and bugs can cause speaker problems on your Apple Watch. Turning your Apple Watch off and then back on will clear the memory and reinitialize the watchOS operating system, which may fix this issue.
Update to the latest watchOS version
Update your Apple Watch to the latest watchOS version and see if that resolves your issues with the speaker volume.
Erase and repair your Apple Watch
If you’re still plagued with low volume or muffled sound, erasing your Apple Watch and setting it up as new (without restoring from a saved backup) may restore normal speaker volume provided the issue was rooted in software in the first place.
Have your Apple Watch inspected by Apple
If none of the above tips fixed your speaker volume problem, book an appointment with your nearest Apple store. If your unit has manufacturing or hardware defects, Apple’s technicians will go to the bottom of the issue and help you out.
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