How to Make the Ringer Louder on Your Phone: Step-by-Step Guide

Missing calls because you can’t hear the phone ring is frustrating, and it’s one of the most common complaints we hear. The good news is that the ringer volume is easy to turn up, and there are a couple of hidden settings that quietly lower it without you realising. For the wider picture, see our guide to the best smartphone for seniors in Australia, our advice on the best phones for hearing difficulties, and our family guide to helping a parent get online.

We’ll cover the iPhone first, then Android phones like Samsung. We’ll also explain why the ring sometimes goes quiet on its own, because fixing that is often the real answer.

Turning up the ringer on an iPhone

1. Open Settings and tap Sounds & Haptics

Open the Settings app, the grey cog icon. Scroll down and tap Sounds & Haptics.

2. Drag the Ringtone volume slider up

Near the top you’ll see a slider under Ringtone and Alert Volume. Drag the dot all the way to the right for the loudest ring. You’ll hear a sample as you move it.

3. Turn off “Change with Buttons”

This is the setting that catches most people out. Just below the slider is a switch called Change with Buttons. If it’s on, the volume buttons on the side of the phone can lower your ringer by accident, for example when the phone is in a pocket or handbag. Switch it off, and the ring volume stays where you set it.

4. Check the silent switch

On the top left edge of the iPhone is a small switch. If you can see an orange stripe, the phone is on silent and won’t ring. Flick it the other way so the orange is hidden. On the newest iPhones this is a button called the Action button instead, but the idea is the same.

Turning up the ringer on Android (Samsung and others)

1. Open Settings and tap Sounds and vibration

Open Settings, the cog icon, and tap Sounds and vibration. On some phones it’s just called Sound.

2. Tap Volume and raise the Ringtone slider

Tap Volume. You’ll see several sliders for different sounds. Find the one labelled Ringtone, or Ring, and drag it to the right. The others control things like media and alarms, so the Ringtone slider is the one that matters for calls.

3. Make sure Sound mode is on, not Vibrate or Mute

Still on the Sounds and vibration screen, check Sound mode is set to Sound. If it’s set to Vibrate or Mute, the phone won’t ring out loud no matter how high the slider is.

Why the ring sometimes goes quiet

If you’ve turned the volume up and it still seems quiet, one of these is usually the reason.

• Do Not Disturb is on. Look for a small moon symbol at the top of the screen. When it’s on, calls are silenced. Open the control panel and tap the moon to turn it off.
• A case or a build-up of dust is covering the speaker. Take the phone out of its case and gently brush the small speaker holes along the bottom edge.
• The chosen ringtone is a soft one. A bright, sharp ringtone is easier to hear than a gentle tune. You can change it in the same Sounds menu.

One more tip that helps a lot of people. If you wear hearing aids, you can often have calls ring or play straight through them. It’s worth setting up if you have it available.