No Independent Volume control in iOS 27

On an iPhone, Media Volume, Alarm Volume, Alert/Ringer Volume, and Call Volume are related but not all controlled by the same setting.

1. Media Volume

This controls the sound produced by apps and media, such as:

YouTube and other videos

Music

Games

Podcasts

Most app sounds

Audio played through the iPhone speaker, headphones, CarPlay, Bluetooth, etc.

How to control it:

Press the Volume Up/Down buttons while media is playing, or

Open Control Center and move the volume slider.

The volume buttons normally control media volume when you are actively playing media.

2. Ringer / Alert Volume

This controls sounds such as:

Incoming phone calls

Text/message notifications

Mail notifications

App notification sounds

Calendar/reminder alerts

Other system alert sounds

Go to: Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and Alerts

The Ringtone and Alerts slider controls this group of sounds.

You can also enable Change with Buttons. When enabled, the physical volume buttons can change the ringtone/alert volume when you're not actively controlling media.

Important: Turning media volume down to zero does not necessarily turn notification/ringer volume down to zero.

3. Alarm Volume

This is where there is an important distinction.

For Apple's Clock app alarms, the alarm volume is generally tied to the Ringtone and Alerts volume.

So if you set:

Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and Alerts → 50%

your normal Clock alarm will use that level.

Changing the volume of a YouTube video, for example, doesn't change the Clock alarm volume.

Also, the Silent Mode switch does not silence a normal Clock alarm. That's intentional—otherwise it would be rather easy to sleep through an alarm.

4. Call Volume

There are actually two different "call volumes."

A. Volume of the person you're talking to

During a phone call, the side volume buttons control the volume of the other person's voice coming through the earpiece or speaker.

This is separate from your normal media volume.

For example:

You are listening to YouTube → volume at 70%

You make a phone call → you set call volume to 40%

Changing the call volume doesn't necessarily change your YouTube volume.

B. Ringtone volume

Before you answer a call, the incoming ringtone uses the Ringtone and Alerts volume described above.

Once you answer, the volume buttons control the call audio.

One particularly important iPhone setting

Go to: Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and Alerts

You'll see the Ringtone and Alerts slider.

Below/around it, you'll also find Change with Buttons.

If Change with Buttons is OFF, the physical volume buttons generally won't accidentally change your ringtone/alert volume when you're not playing media.

If Change with Buttons is ON, pressing the volume buttons when you're not actively playing media can change the ringtone/alert level.

So, if you want your alarm and notifications to remain at a fixed level while freely using the side buttons for YouTube/music, keeping Change with Buttons OFF is usually the better arrangement.

Media and ringtone volumes are controlled independently, giving you separate control over entertainment and call alerts.

For example, you can lower the media volume while watching a video or listening to music without reducing the volume of incoming call alerts. Likewise, you can reduce the ringtone volume in a quiet setting while keeping media volume at a comfortable level for headphones or videos.

This separation helps ensure that changes to one audio setting do not unintentionally affect the other.

On iPhone, Alarm volume and Ringtone/Alert volume are controlled by the same volume level when “Change with Buttons” is enabled.

• Settings → Sounds & Haptics → Ringtone and Alerts controls both the ringtone/notification volume and the alarm volume.
• If Change with Buttons is enabled, the physical volume buttons can change that level.
• Media volume (music, videos, etc.) is separate.
• Alarm volume is not controlled by the media-volume slider in Control Center.

So, if you lower the Ringtone and Alerts volume, your Clock alarms will also sound quieter.

Also apps are capable of providing their own volume control, such as Apple Music and Apple TV, and it is easy for a Developer of an app to provide one. Each app can maintain their own volume setting that is independent of the call volume. Which app are you attempting to adjust the volume while on a call?

geetanshbassi wrote:

When you’re on call, you cannot independently. Change the volume of your media and the call. There should be an option to independently. Change the volume like in androids.

Let Apple know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

Apple did add a separate volume control for Alarms and Timers with iOS 27. Personally, I turn media off when I'm on a call out of courtesy to the other party.

Why since ios27 is notification volume through the AirPods so much lower? The only way to increase volume is to turn off match volume for notifications but that changes the volume of the phone when AirPods aren’t in use. I don’t want to change the phones notification volume. Just the volume coming from the AirPod when I get a notification. Right now, without messing with the match feature, the notification volume coming through my AirPod is almost silent.

NewUser22 wrote:

Why since ios27 is notification volume through the AirPods so much lower? The only way to increase volume is to turn off match volume for notifications but that changes the volume of the phone when AirPods aren’t in use. I don’t want to change the phones notification volume. Just the volume coming from the AirPod when I get a notification. Right now, without messing with the match feature, the notification volume coming through my AirPod is almost silent.

I have not noticed this on my AirPod Pro 3s so I have no ideas what might be causing this. A good first place to start with AirPods is to make sure they are very clean. Ear wax is the enemy.