Bluetooth headphones: one side silent or low volume

One side of your Bluetooth headphones is silent, or the sound is quiet or thin. Check the volume controls, the earbuds themselves, the calls-versus-music audio mode, and the settings on your phone or computer.

Before you start

Bluetooth devices have several volume controls: one on the phone or computer, one in the app, and often one on the headphones. Wireless earbuds are also two separate pieces that each need charge and a link. These checks take about 10 minutes. Stop as soon as the sound is right.

If your headphones are wired, or are not detected at all, see headphones not detected or one side silent.

Try these fixes in order

Fix 1: Volume and the earbuds themselves

This takes about 3 minutes.

1. Turn up the volume on your phone or computer. Google's Android help advises raising it on both the phone and the accessory.
2. Turn up the volume inside the app you are using, such as a video or music app.
3. Press the volume button on the headphones, if they have one.
4. Check that no other paired device is playing audio to the headphones. Turn Bluetooth off on your other phones and computers.
5. Put both earbuds in the charging case for a few minutes so they charge. Then take them out, wait for each to connect, and try again. A fully flat bud plays nothing.
6. Clean the earbud's speaker mesh gently with a dry, soft brush. Dust and wax can block sound and make one side quiet. Do not push anything into the opening.

Fix 2: Turn off Mono audio and check the balance

Phones and computers have accessibility settings that change how the left and right sides play. One may have been switched on by accident. This takes about 2 minutes.

On Windows 11

1. Open Settings then Accessibility then Audio.
2. Check the Mono audio switch. Some Windows builds also show it under Settings then System then Sound, in the Output section. Mono audio plays the same sound in both ears. Microsoft describes it as helpful if you use only one earbud, and warns that stereo may not work properly while it is on. Turn it off for normal stereo.
3. Open Settings then System then Sound, select your headphones under Output, and check that the Left and Right volume levels match.

On an iPhone

1. Open Settings then Accessibility then Audio & Visual.
2. Check that Mono Audio is off, and that the Balance slider is in the middle, not pushed to one side. On older iOS versions the menu is named Audio/Visual.

On an Android phone

Menu names vary by maker. Open Settings and search for Mono audio or Audio balance. If either is on, turn it off or center the slider.

Fix 3: Calls and meetings can make sound thin (Windows)

Bluetooth headphones have two audio modes. Music mode gives full stereo. A narrower call mode, called Hands-Free, is used when a program opens the headphones' microphone. While the mic is in use, Windows can switch the headphones to the call mode, so music sounds thin and tinny. This is a limit of standard Bluetooth, not a fault. It takes about 3 minutes.

1. Open Settings then System then Sound.
2. Under Output, look at your headphones. If the name includes Hands-Free, you are in the call mode. If your headphones appear twice, choose the entry without Hands-Free for music.
3. In your call or meeting app, choose the laptop's own microphone as the input. Keep the headphones for output only. The headphones can then stay in the stereo mode.

Fix 4: Remove the headphones and pair them again

This takes about 5 minutes and does not delete any files.

1. On Windows 11, open Settings then Bluetooth & devices, select More options (the three dots) beside the headphones, then select Remove device. On Windows 10, use Settings then Devices then Bluetooth & other devices and select Remove device.
2. On an iPhone, open Settings then Bluetooth, tap the i beside the headphones, and tap Forget This Device. On Android, open Settings then Connected devices then Saved devices, tap the gear icon, then Forget.
3. Put both earbuds in the case, close it, and wait a few seconds. Put the headphones in pairing mode as the manual describes.
4. Pair them again. For steps, see Bluetooth won't pair or connect.

If it still does not work

• Check the headphone maker's app or support page for a firmware update, and install it if one is offered.
• Test the headphones with a second phone or computer. If one side is silent there too, the earbud or its battery is probably at fault. Check the manual for a reset method and use the support page on the maker's website.
• If the sound breaks up instead, see Bluetooth keeps disconnecting or stutters.
• For other Windows sound problems, see no sound on Windows.

Frequently asked questions