Nexus 4 Volume won't increase.

**LNWJ** · 12-09-2012, 10:30 PM

Has anyone else had this issue? No matter what I do I can't get the media volume to increase. With headphones or without. I've muted and unmuted the sound.

Help? :-)

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**rkohou** · 12-10-2012, 12:27 AM

Restart did not help? Factory reset next step.

**N4Newbie** · 12-10-2012, 01:07 AM

That crossed-speaker icon is quite interesting. Whereas I can turn the volume level all the way to zero, whether I do so in the Settings app or in any of the media player apps I tried, I cannot get to a "mute" state with a similar crossed-speaker icon.

My only guess is that you have at least one app which actually has a "mute" feature and that you need to find that app and turn it off.

Or, you have installed a muting app ( ) and forgotten about it? For example, I just read in another forum a guy who had a similar problem to yours and ultimately realized it was because he had SwitchPro installed and its mute function blocked any attempt to turn the media volumes back up.

**N4Newbie** · 12-10-2012, 01:24 AM

I have just read in another forum that Spotify can (or, at least, used to) have this effect as well as several games which have a mute function.

**LNWJ** · 12-10-2012, 08:06 AM

Yes a reboot will fix the issue. Interesting thought about an app muting the sound.... The only app I use on a semi regular basis with a mute option is Tiny Tower. Thanks for the tips, it gives me a place to start troubleshooting. :-)

Edit: Nope not Tiny Tower. Hmmm Will keep tinkering.

**KSmithInNY** · 12-10-2012, 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by LNWJ

Has anyone else had this issue? No matter what I do I can't get the media volume to increase. With headphones or without. I've muted and unmuted the sound.

Help? :-)

I have the same thing on my N4 and my N7 and I've tracked it down to happening when i power up the device while headphones are plugged in. I can plug in headphones and restart 10x's in a row and my volume is crossed out and won't go up. Unplug the headphones and restart while they are unplugged and it magically works again. I'd venture a guess this is what's going on. Since it occurs on my N7 and N4, which are made by different manufacturers but have the same (relatively) image, it's a software problem in AOSP. I haven't taken the time to see if it's reported through bug tracker because it's not a huge deal for me.

**N4Newbie** · 12-10-2012, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by KSmithInNY

I have the same thing on my N4 and my N7 and I've tracked it down to happening when i power up the device while headphones are plugged in. I can plug in headphones and restart 10x's in a row and my volume is crossed out and won't go up. Unplug the headphones and restart while they are unplugged and it magically works again. I'd venture a guess this is what's going on. Since it occurs on my N7 and N4, which are made by different manufacturers but have the same (relatively) image, it's a software problem in AOSP. I haven't taken the time to see if it's reported through bug tracker because it's not a huge deal for me.

Wow! I thought you might be on to something, but I just tried this and did not get the same result. So, maybe there is still an app involved in some way?

**KSmithInNY** · 12-10-2012, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by N4Newbie

Wow! I thought you might be on to something, but I just tried this and did not get the same result. So, maybe there is still an app involved in some way?

Right now I'm just test driving my N4 for 30 days so I only have iheartradio, speedtest.net, and tapatalk installed. No other apps, other than the standard GAPPS. To limit it even further of those 3 i only have iheartradio and tapatalk on my N7. I'm guessing not everyone has those apps installed so it's possible theres an issue with an API that multiple apps are using which causes this issue to happen.

**Jeremy8000** · 12-10-2012, 10:38 AM

I've had the same issue on my N7 since the latest OS update. Since this seems to be limited in the scope of those affected, it's most likely some failed interaction between the OS and downloaded application(s). Though, at least on my N7, it's not just media - if I tap on an app icon, etc (for which I never changed the default, so it gives audible feedback), I get no sound there either. A reboot generally resolves it.

**dankind64** · 12-10-2012, 08:35 PM

I'm having the same issue with a Galaxy Note II. Running 4.1.1 stock, from the factory.

**LNWJ** · 12-11-2012, 12:00 PM

I've actually never used headphones with my N4 aside from the other night when I was troubleshooting it.

Nothing short of a reboot will fix it for me. I guess I'm glad I'm not alone. While it sucks, the more people aware of the bug the more it might pick up steam and get squashed.

**Neofire** · 12-11-2012, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by KSmithInNY

Right now I'm just test driving my N4 for 30 days so I only have iheartradio, speedtest.net, and tapatalk installed. No other apps, other than the standard GAPPS. To limit it even further of those 3 i only have iheartradio and tapatalk on my N7. I'm guessing not everyone has those apps installed so it's possible theres an issue with an API that multiple apps are using which causes this issue to happen.

I believe you nailed it with it being a API issue. This occured to me also. Because an application was already open that I was using my Headphones with (Netflix) then I whent to play music in poweramp and I got the same volume issue. I went and closed netflix and the music began to play. I tried this with google play, last fm, youtube, and pandora. When playing audio in one you have to close that APP or the others wont work.

**LNWJ** · 12-11-2012, 01:00 PM

Looks like if you use the "Mute all" option from holding the power button menu, and then raise the volume with the rocker the media volume stays muted. Definitely a bug.

**Go Ogle** · 12-11-2012, 01:08 PM

Also if u start a phone call with headphones in and the screen turns off, if you have the power button set to hang up the call, there is no way to make the screen come back on unless you hang up the call. Its quite irritating. The screen just won't come back on just by looking at it. Even if you take out the headphones and try. Sucks. I hope this gets fixed soon.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

**dankind64** · 12-13-2012, 12:13 PM

I found that going into the task manager and clearing the RAM will fix the issue (on my galaxy note 2)

**leegalaxy** · 12-16-2012, 07:28 PM

I was just having the volume problem when I realized that I had Netflix running in the background. Specifically, I was using it to control Netflix on my PS3. I hit the recent apps button and killed the app. After that the volume returned to normal and was fully responsive and adjustable.

This leads me to believe that it is indeed an API conflict.

**Justin Thormodsgard** · 03-21-2013, 10:59 PM

My "iheartradio" app is the culprit. By far the worst app ever - turns on at random times, disables my sound, etc. I wish I had an alternative, but the radio station I listen to blocks everything else

**Daniel Carberry** · 04-09-2013, 02:09 PM

I found a method that works for this without resetting the phone.

1. Hop phone off wall

I joke.... Seriously tho
1. Go to play store.
2. Download Super task killer free.
3. Use it to close all background apps.
4. Open youtube/play music and play song and turn volume up.

Worked for me hope it does for you too.