Managing the volume on an Android device is a fundamental aspect that every user should understand. Android organizes audio into several distinct channels, each with its own independent volume control. This beginner’s guide introduces the various audio channels on Android and how to manage them effectively.
Table of Contents
Different Audio Channels
When you hear a sound on your Android device, it is associated with one of the following audio channels:
- Media Volume: Controls the audio for music, video, apps audio, and game sounds.
- Ringtone Volume: As the name suggests, this channel manages the ringtone sound for incoming calls, whether traditional or VoIP.
- Notification Volume: While some devices combine ringtone and notification volumes under the ringtone channel, most devices treat them separately. This channel controls the sounds for system and app notifications.
- Call Volume: Responsible for the other party’s voice that you hear during a call.
- Alarm Volume: Manages the sound levels for alarm notifications.
- System Volume: controls system sounds, such as those that play when connecting a charger or performing other system-level actions.
- Accessibility Volume: Introduced in Android 8.0 (Oreo), this channel allows screen reader speech to have its volume managed independently of media sounds.
By understanding these channels, users can better customize their device’s sound settings to suit their needs.
Using Volume Keys to Adjust Volumes
The Default Volume Keys Behavior
In the past, pressing the volume keys adjusted the ringtone volume by default. However, in recent years, the default behavior has shifted to controlling the media volume. This change was implemented to prevent users from unintentionally altering the ringtone volume, which could result in a ringtone that’s too loud, too quiet, or even silent.
On modern Android versions, pressing the volume keys adjusts the media volume by default. However, most devices allow users to modify this behavior in the Sound and Vibration settings, enabling the volume keys to control the ringtone volume instead.
Short Pressing Volume Keys While Using a Screen Reader
TalkBack
Since TalkBack uses the accessibility channel for its speech output, pressing a volume key while TalkBack is speaking adjusts the accessibility volume, which directly affects TalkBack’s volume. When TalkBack is silent, the volume keys revert to their default behavior:
- Adjusting the media volume (on modern devices).
- Adjusting the ringtone volume if the default behavior has been modified or on older Android versions.
To ensure TalkBack is silent, wait a few seconds after its last speech output before pressing the volume keys. Otherwise, you may unintentionally adjust the accessibility volume instead.
When media is playing, the default action of the volume keys changes to managing the media volume, regardless of other settings. To adjust TalkBack’s volume in this case, place a finger on the screen while pressing the volume keys.
Jieshuo
By default, the Jieshuo screen reader’s speech is linked to the media volume, and pressing the volume keys adjusts the media volume. This behavior remains unchanged even if the ringtone volume is set as the default volume to be adjusted in the system settings.
Users can configure Jieshuo to use the Accessibility Volume in the Main Engine and Secondary Engine TTS Settings sections. However, even when Jieshuo is set to use the accessibility volume, pressing the volume keys still adjusts the media volume by default. To modify accessibility volume, users need to place a finger on the screen while pressing the volume keys.
The System Volume Panel
When a volume key is pressed, the system volume panel appears on a small portion of the screen. This panel shows a slider for the volume channel currently being adjusted, along with an expand button to display additional volume sliders.
The position of the volume panel varies depending on the device manufacturer and Android version. For example, on a Samsung Galaxy A55, it is typically located near the right edge of the screen, close to the middle. The volume panel is temporary, appearing for only a few seconds.
If locating the panel is difficult, users can employ TalkBack’s window navigation reading control to move focus between active windows on the screen. In Jieshuo, this granularity is referred to as Screen Areas.
To adjust a slider, use the screen reader’s slider-changing gestures:
- For TalkBack, swipe up or down.
- For Jieshuo, refer to the guide on sliders adjustment.
After pressing the expand button, the volume panel occupies more screen space and reveals additional sliders for other audio channels, along with buttons to mute certain channels. Setting a slider to 0 effectively silences that channel. The expanded panel may also include options like toggling captions or opening the sound settings.
Jieshuo users can disable the system volume panel from Operation Settings > Shortcut Keys Settings.
Pressing Volume Keys During Calls
When in a call, the volume keys are context-aware and adjust the call volume. This controls the volume of the other party’s voice, allowing you to make it louder or quieter.
To adjust the screen reader’s volume during a call, place a finger on the screen while pressing the volume keys. Note that in some cases, the accessibility volume may be linked to the call volume, meaning changes to the call volume might also affect the accessibility volume.
Changing Volume from Settings
Volume sliders are found in the Volumes section of the Sound and Vibration settings. The exact name or layout of this section may vary depending on the device manufacturer. Typically, you will find sliders for each audio channel, which can be adjusted using your screen reader’s slider adjustment mechanism. When changing a slider, an audio preview is often played to demonstrate the effect of the change. This method provides an accessible and straightforward way to manage all volume-related settings.
Conclusion
Separating audio into distinct channels with independent volume controls is a smart design choice, allowing for flexibility. For instance, you can keep notification sounds quiet while setting alarm or ringtone volumes louder. Similarly, it is possible to adjust your screen reader’s speech volume while media plays simultaneously.
Although managing these channels may seem overwhelming at first, understanding the function of each channel and when it is used makes volume management more intuitive. For screen reader users, some devices may exhibit specific quirks, such as linking the screen reader volume to the ringtone volume during incoming calls. This behavior, though not consistent across devices, may be intentional rather than a bug, even if it can occasionally be frustrating.
If you’re new to Android, take the time to explore the different volume channels on your device and test how the volume keys interact with them. Once you grasp the basics, you’ll find managing volume channels convenient and straightforward.
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