How to Improve Sound on Your Android Phone

Most of us now use our smartphones to listen to music, even though the vast majority of Android phones still lack powerful speakers capable of delivering quality audio. Of course, many us know better than to listen to music through our tinny phone speakers and use headphones instead, but even then there are things you can do to increase the volume, boost the sound quality or tweak it depending on what you’re listening to.

Here are some of the ways you can improve the sound quality on your Android phone.

Also read: Android Device Overheating? Here’s How to Cool It Down

1. Optimize and Equalize with Wavelet

There are a lot of apps out there that claim to give you granular control over your phone’s sound, and some music player apps have built-in equalizers too, but Wavelet is great because it applies equalization, effects and gain control across your entire device.

You can just use one of the several presets in the app to keep things simple. AutoEQ, for example, equalizes your phone sound to the Harman standard (complete with visualization!). Under Gain Control, I like to use the Limiter, which helps keep disproportionately loud jumps in the audio track to a sensible level, and you can fiddle around with effects like reverb and bass tuning too.

Wavelet should automatically work with apps like Spotify, YouTube Music and Google Play Music, but you may need to switch on Legacy Mode if you want it to work with regular YouTube, PowerAmp and other apps.

This is a great option to have in the background, and we should probably add that you’ll get much more out of it when using headphones or separate speakers than your phone speakers!

Also read: 5 Android Equalizer Apps for Better Audio on Your Phone

2. Stick your Phone in a (empty) Beer Glass

Nope, we’re not kidding. In a lifehack that was possibly invented by park-dwelling hipsters in the 2000s who think that not only everyone in the group but in the surrounding groups wants to hear their music, putting your phone in a beer (or pint) glass actually works to amplify your phone speakers.

Obviously, it’s not going to work miracles (if you want proper sound, get headphones or speakers), but it’s arguably the best way to amplify your phone speaker volume without distorting it – like many volume booster apps tend to.

Remember to have your phone speaker (usually on the bottom of your phone) facing out of the glass.

As a side tip to the above, if you want to amplify your phone volume when you’re in the bath, you can stick your phone in the sink (Disclaimer: we won’t be held responsible if you run the tap forgetting your phone’s in the sink!).

3. Be Aware of Placement of Your Phone’s Speakers

Depending on your phone’s model, the placement of the speakers can differ significantly. A vast number of handsets have the speakers at the bottom, but there are Androids out there with front-facing speakers, while others feature theirs at the back of the phone near the bottom.

It’s important to know where your handset’s speakers are located, so inspect your phone carefully until you can locate their position. Once you have located it, position the phone in a manner that does not obstruct the grills bso as to allow the sound to flow unrestricted and at its highest possible quality.

Besides, it would also be a good idea to remove any protective case before playing your music. This would ensure that the sound coming out of the phone is not blocked.

4. Clean the Speakers Carefully

Cleaning your phone’s speakers is another method to avoid reduced sound quality. The most effective one is using compressed air to blow the dust particles out of the grills. As a cheaper alternative, you could use an old toothbrush to scoop out any specks that may have slipped inside the small holes.

Cleaning the speakers should be done regularly to ensure they are kept in pristine condition.

5. Explore Your Phone’s Sound Settings More In-Depth

Depending on your phone, your manufacturer might have baked in some extra audio control features.

For example, on Samsung Galaxy S9+, a few advanced sound options were included. Users can access these by going to “Settings -> Sound & Vibration -> Advanced -> Sound Quality and Effects.” Here you’ll find an Equalizer feature with several presets as well as the option to create a custom one.

Additionally, some phones have a Dolby Atmos feature at their disposal that can be turned on and off.

Keep in mind that these options may be absent on other devices offered by distinct manufacturers.

6. Get a Volume Booster App for Your Phone

Still not satisfied with how loud your phone is? You can install a volume-boosting app from the Google Play Store.

One of them is Super Volume Booster. This is a simple but effective app that delivers palpable results. It’s free to download and use, but you’ll have to pay a fee to remove the ads that pop up here and there.

One thing to keep in mind is that prolonged use of apps of this kind may have a harmful effect on your speakers, so it’s recommended that you use this method sparingly, if at all.

7. Switch to a Better Music Playing App with Equalizer Embedded

Do you use your phone’s default music player when blasting your playlist? If the answer is yes, you should look for a better music app, especially one with an equalizer function embedded.

Poweramp, for example, comes with its own embedded equalizer and offers enough sound-boosting features. The app boasts a lot of other things, including playback options like gapless playback or crossfade. It also brings widgets, tag editing, and a lot of other customization options.

Alternatively, you can install a standalone equalizer app. For example, Music Volume EQ offers a five-band music equalizer and nine EQ presets to choose from, as well as bassbooster effect. The developers promise that the app should work well with most audio players, so it’s definitely worth giving it a try.

8. Fiddle with the Settings of Your Music Streaming App

If you’re not the type of person to store your music library on your phone, there’s a way to improve things sound-wise with your music streaming app.

Note: we’re using Spotify for music streaming, but similar settings should be available in alternate apps like Apple Music or YouTube Music Premium.

In Spotify, just go to Settings and scroll down until you find the “Volume level” option. From there you can ramp up the sound from Normal to Loud. Continue scrolling down until you reach the Equalizer option (under Music Quality). Turn the option on, as it is off by default, and start fiddling with the sliders to create the configuration you think sounds best. Or, you can choose from one of the presets.

In the same section, you can also change streaming quality, which is set to Automatic. Music streaming apps like Spotify usually stream audio at the lowest quality to protect users that have smaller data plans. However, you do have the option to set streaming quality to Normal, High, or Very High. Just make sure your smartphone is connected to Wi-Fi before you attempt to change these settings.

Now that you know how to boost the sound on your Android, maybe you’d also like to learn how to get new music on your device, in which case we recommend reading our list of the best free music download apps for Android. Or if you don’t want certain apps ‘phoning home’, here’s how to block internet access for Android apps.