Google Pixel 5 experiencing low call volume? Try these temporary workarounds

The Google Pixel 5’s speakers have been embroiled with controversy ever since the launch of the device on October 15. The under display speaker implementation may seem futuristic, but the technology is far from perfect.

There were reports, previously, about the less than satisfactory bottom-firing speaker quality. And now, several users are complaining about the in-call volume being too low.

Yep, me too. In call volume is all the way up and still having to press the phone right into my ear. If there’s a little background noise, it’s nearly impossible to have a conversation. My pixel 2xl was so loud I had to turn it down.
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Yup, same for me too. My only issue for what is otherwise a great phone. I have the in-call volume cranked up almost to the highest. I can feel the vibration of the audio through the screen but the volume is tame. Higher frequencies seem better. I have a tempered glass screen protector on and wondered if that would cause any issue but I don’t think so. Hopefully this is a software issue!
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According to reports, the Pixel 5’s call volume is pretty low even when cranked up to the max. Many users say that they have a hard time listening to the other party.

The problem is still manageable indoors. However, it worsens when outdoors or in places with a lot of ambient noise. Some also state that they’re forced to switch over to the speakerphone more often than necessary.

It is also worth mentioning here that the Pixel 5 has a pretty unique speaker implementation. There’s the bottom firing speakers, and then there’s the top speaker that has been built into the display.

To achieve this, a driver has been placed under the display that makes the panel vibrate and transmit sound. Users have said that they can even feel the vibration when placing the phone onto their ear during calls.

1. Lowering the speaker volume: Yes, you heard that right. A user has said that lowering the speaker volume has actually helped with the problem.

I actually found lowering the call volume slightly improved the sound quality and it wasn’t as distorted.
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It could be quite possible that distortion at higher volumes makes the person at the other end of the call less intelligible. You can give this a go.

2. Screen protectors: Some users also suspect screen protectors to be the cause of the problem. It may sound odd but isn’t exactly far fetched since screen protectors are an additional layer over the display.

Having a screen protector is probably making the sound worse, as one of the speakers is underneath the glass display which vibrates to produce sound waves. Maybe try taking it off and seeing if that improves things?
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3. Position your phone correctly: It appears that the location of the call speaker on Pixel 5 isn’t exactly where traditional speakers lie.

The sweet spot is lower on the device than phones with an actual speaker, try moving it around some and see if that helps.
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And that’s all for the workarounds part. However, it is worth mentioning here that several users also feel that the call speaker on the Pixel 5 is just fine.

If you mean when making a call, then no – I don’t have that problem at all. It is plenty loud and clear enough for me.
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That being said, let us know in the comments below if the above workarounds helped with low call volume on the Pixel 5. Also check out our story on how to enhance photo quality on apps like Instagram over here.

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