Cannot Adjust the Call Volume on Google Pixel. Always at 100% Loudness

In October 2018 I faced a weird problem with the call volume on my Google Pixel: when I try to adjust the volume in the ear speaker the volume slider moves up and down but the volume itself doesn’t change at all.

In this article I will explain what you can do to fix the problem and I will tell you how I resolved the issue on my Google Pixel 2016. 

Explanation

If I activate the loudspeaker the volume works just fine – I can make the sound quieter and louder. But when I use the ear speaker the volume bar moves up and down but doesn’t affect the volume:

call volume Google Pixel

I had no bluetooth speakers/headsets paired with my phone. Neither rebooting, nor clearing data/cache for the Phone app haven’t made the slider affect the volume.

How I Managed to Solve the Problem with Broken Call Volume Slider

I have done a ton of steps but nothing helped. Finally I decided to try the radical measures. Here is my experience:

  • I reset my Pixel phone to the factory defaults (like explained here);
  • when the phone booted I logged into my Google account and made a call. The call volume worked fine – I mean, the volume rocker was able to change the volume in the earpiece again;
  • after that I allowed all pre-installed apps to update. Then I checked again – the volume rocker was working. So, we can conclude that one of the third-party apps was the culprit;
  • the next thing I did, I installed the most important part of my third-party apps, but the call volume still works fine. If I manage to find the exact reason I will write about it on this web page.

That’s it. The nuclear option did the trick. Describe your cases in the comments.

2 thoughts on “Cannot Adjust the Call Volume on Google Pixel. Always at 100% Loudness”

  1. I have the same problem with my Pixel 3XL, as so many others are also dealing with as I am learning. This is an obvious but that needs to be worked out.
    Yes, factory reset does work, but that is not a viable option when it keeps happening every week or so. I have had to reboot my phone 5 times since I got it. It has only been about 2 months.
    I have read dozens of threads with people all describing the same issue, so I doubt that it is a particular 3rd party app causing the problem.

    Please fix this Google!!

    Reply
  2. Have the same issue on a recently purchased 3a xl. Factory reset fixed the problem but then it started happening again.

    I know it sounds weird, but here’s what fixed it for me. Go into the settings on the Phone App and then go to Accessibility -> Hearing Aids. Toggle Hearing Aid Compatibility ON and then OFF again (it should be off by default). After I do this, the functionality of adjusting the call volume returns immediately. I can even do this during a call and fix it on the fly. The good news it’s an easy fix for me, but the bad news is that I find I have to do this regularly. I guess I’ll learn to deal with it and hope it eventually is addressed. I hope this works for others.

    Reply

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