I’ve been a cheerful owner of a pair of Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 for months.
However, a recent accident involving a train and a total lack of hand-eye coordination meant my relationship with the earbuds was unexpectedly terminated.
I switched to a pair of Creative Zen Air earbuds I had reviewed a few months previously, but I quickly noticed a problem.
While my Pixel Buds Pro 2 were often too loud to use, my Zen Air earbuds had the opposite problem.
Maximizing my phone volume wasn’t sufficient. I needed to separate my phone volume from my earbud volume, and fortunately, there was a way to do this.
How I separated my phone volume from my earbud volume
A sneaky trick hidden in your phone’s developer options
The absolute volume setting is an advanced Android feature and is therefore hidden in the developer options menu.
If you haven’t enabled developer options before, here’s how:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap About Phone.
-
Scroll down and tap Build number seven times until you see the pop-up message.
Go to the System menu in the Settings app to find developer options. Scroll down (or search) for the Disable absolute volume switch. Toggle this switch on.
Now, you can adjust the volume of your earbuds separately from your phone volume.
It’s worth clarifying that disabling absolute volume does not prevent you from adjusting a Bluetooth speaker’s volume with your phone.
QuizBluetooth technology
Trivia challenge
From Viking kings to wireless earbuds — how much do you really know about Bluetooth?
HistoryStandardsHardwareSecurityFeatures
Bluetooth technology is named after which historical figure?
Correct! Harald Bluetooth was a 10th-century Danish king who united dissonant Danish tribes — fitting for a technology designed to unite different communication protocols. The name was proposed by Intel engineer Jim Kardach, who was reading a historical novel about Harald at the time.
Not quite. Bluetooth is named after Harald Bluetooth, a 10th-century Danish king renowned for uniting warring factions. The parallel to uniting different wireless protocols made it an inspired choice by Intel engineer Jim Kardach.
In what year was the first official Bluetooth specification (version 1.0) released?
Correct! Bluetooth 1.0 was released in 1999 by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). The specification had a rocky start — 1.0 and 1.0B had significant issues, including mandatory hardware device address transmission that made anonymity impossible.
Not quite. The first official Bluetooth specification was released in 1999. Early versions had notable problems, and it wasn’t until Bluetooth 1.1 and 1.2 that the standard became reliably usable for mainstream consumer devices.
Which Bluetooth version introduced Low Energy (LE) mode, designed for devices like fitness trackers and sensors?
Correct! Bluetooth 4.0, released in 2010, introduced Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), originally developed by Nokia under the name Wibree. BLE was a game-changer for IoT and wearable devices, allowing tiny batteries to power connected devices for months or even years.
Not quite. Bluetooth Low Energy was introduced in version 4.0 back in 2010. It was originally a Nokia project called Wibree before being folded into the Bluetooth standard, and it revolutionized the wearables and IoT industries.
What is the maximum theoretical data transfer speed of Bluetooth 5.0 in its high-speed mode?
Correct! Bluetooth 5.0 supports a maximum data rate of 2 Mbps in its high-speed LE mode, which is double that of Bluetooth 4.2. However, this comes at the cost of range, as higher speeds require devices to be closer together.
Not quite. Bluetooth 5.0 tops out at 2 Mbps in high-speed mode. The standard also introduced a long-range mode that sacrifices speed for up to four times the range of Bluetooth 4.2, giving developers flexibility for different use cases.
Which frequency band does Bluetooth primarily operate on?
Correct! Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band. This is the same band used by Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and microwave ovens, which is why interference can occasionally be an issue in crowded wireless environments.
Not quite. Bluetooth uses the 2.4 GHz ISM band, which is an unlicensed radio band available globally. Sharing this band with Wi-Fi and other devices can sometimes cause interference, which Bluetooth mitigates through a technique called frequency-hopping spread spectrum.
What technique does Bluetooth use to reduce interference by rapidly switching among 79 different frequency channels?
Correct! Bluetooth uses frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), hopping up to 1,600 times per second across 79 designated channels in the 2.4 GHz band. This rapid hopping makes Bluetooth connections resilient to interference and difficult to intercept.
Not quite. Bluetooth relies on frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS), switching channels up to 1,600 times per second. This technique was actually pioneered by actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil during World War II — a fun piece of wireless history!
Which Bluetooth attack involves an attacker sending unsolicited messages or files to a discoverable Bluetooth device without pairing?
Correct! Bluejacking involves sending unsolicited messages to nearby Bluetooth devices without requiring pairing. While mostly harmless and often used as a prank, it highlights the importance of keeping your device non-discoverable in public spaces.
Not quite. Bluejacking is the attack that sends unsolicited messages to discoverable devices without pairing. The more serious attacks are Bluesnarfing (stealing data) and Bluebugging (taking full control of a device), which require more sophisticated techniques.
Which company originally developed the technology that became Bluetooth, starting the project in 1994?
Correct! Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson initiated the Bluetooth project in 1994, with engineer Jaap Haartsen often credited as its inventor. The goal was to create a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables for connecting mobile phones to accessories.
Not quite. Bluetooth was originally developed by Ericsson in 1994. Engineer Jaap Haartsen led much of the foundational work. The Bluetooth SIG was later formed in 1998 with founding members including Ericsson, Nokia, IBM, Intel, and Toshiba.
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Testing absolute volume made a noticeable change
It was definitely worth doing for my earbuds
Each pair of earbuds or headphones can have a different maximum volume level.
Sometimes it’s louder than your phone’s settings (as in my case), or quieter (disabling absolute volume can also help in this situation).
I tested how disabling absolute volume affected my earbuds by placing them near my phone’s microphone.
Then, I played part of a song with absolute volume enabled and my phone’s volume set to maximum.
Next, I disabled absolute volume, adjusted my earbuds’ volume as high as they would go (being careful not to move them), and played the same song part again.
With absolute volume enabled, my headphones produced a maximum of 51.4 decibels and an average of 44.7 decibels.
When I disabled absolute volume, they reached a maximum of 60.2 decibels and an average of 50.7 decibels.
This is a nearly 20% volume jump. It’s hard to tell exactly what volume my earbuds are set at, but after experimenting, I noticed a clear increase in volume.
Now, when I need to maximize the volume of my earbuds, I raise the media volume on my phone to maximum, then raise the volume of my earbuds.
Why I wanted to separate phone volume from earbud volume
Louder volume and less fiddling with volume levels
Audio volume wasn’t the only reason I did this. Separating earbud volume from phone volume has numerous benefits.
For example, I listen to music through earbuds, but I play podcasts through my phone speaker at home.
I dislike wearing earbuds for this, as I’m regularly chatting with friends or housemates. I therefore have the volume turned down so I can hear them.
Separating my phone volume from earbud volume means I don’t have to adjust my phone’s volume every time I take my earbuds out.
It’s a small change, but a useful one.
I also find it handy for fine-tuning audio levels.
I listen to music recorded before the 1950s, and the mixing results in wildly varying audio levels.
Separating my headphone volume from my phone volume means I can properly listen to quiet tracks.
It’s also a handy tool for the opposite problem.
If the maximum volume of a Bluetooth speaker is much higher than the maximum volume of your phone, you can lower the Bluetooth speaker’s volume without nearly muting your phone.
Disabling absolute volume carries risks
Some Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, and headphones can have a maximum volume that is significantly higher than your phone’s volume.
Disabling absolute volume can cause your earbuds to reach dangerous volume levels, so always be mindful when using this setting.
If your media suddenly sounds quieter, it may be due to an Android update.
Volume settings are controlled by software, so some updates that adjust volume settings can change the maximum volume of your phone. Disabling absolute volume can fix this issue.
