Why is the volume low on my Apple Watch Series 10?

It does happen again my second watch is doing the same thing!

So, here's an update...I left the Apple store, having left my watch with them, feeling like they were just going to tell me it was not repairable. Pretty crappy feeling. Several days later, I got it back in the mail and it worked again! The sound was great and no problems with it whatsoever. Also, no explanation of what they did or what was wrong. While my watch was with Apple, I did some digging on the internet. It seems a whole lot of people are having the same trouble with their Apple watch 10's. Here is what I gleaned from this whole ordeal: Take your watch off if you are washing your hands with soap, or putting on lotion, or those kinds of things where things can get in those tiny little holes along the side of your watch. The Apple watch 10 is thinner that the watches ever have been and the speaker is right behind those little holes. Anything clogging those tiny holes effects the speaker. When the Apple folks were grilling me about how I use my watch, they continually asked me about water and this puzzled me because it is supposed to be waterproof. This was my first clue. They are definitely having trouble-not with water, but other things getting in the little holes.

Since I got my watch back, I am super careful not to get anything on it. I take it off when I am doing dishes, washing my hands, putting on lotion, etc... I recommend doing this so you don't encounter the problems that I have had. I wish you all the best of luck with your 10's.

I have had 4 Apple Watch 10 series replaced since 11/24!! The volume works for about 6 weeks then suddenly becomes almost absent.

Unfortunately, I am 5 hours away from an Apple Store, so they keep overnighting me new watches. I am beyond frustrated and agree something needs to be done. I am paying for extra “line” on my cell phone bill for the watch when I couldn’t utilize the watch for that purpose due to the volume!

I have to call AGAIN regarding the last watch they sent me 6 weeks ago. One tech told me Apple may have to do a service recall on the Series 10 due to all the issues with the volume.

Leonardo4605 wrote:

...another user complained about auedga what, .....?

No idea what that means

try How to adjust various sound volumes on Ap… - Apple Community

Another option would be:

...

With Apple Watch Series 10, you can use a soft bristle brush to remove debris from the speaker ports.

...

copied from: How to clean your Apple Watch - Apple Support

I’ve had the exact problem! Sent the first one back and for one call it worked correctly and now I can’t hear anything

Same here (Watch 10): Not loud enough. I think my Watch 4 was far "louder".

Volume set to maximum, but wake-up or timer alarms barely audible. Did the water-fix several times but no changes.

For the moment, the "vibration" is my solution for alarms. But, I think, Apple should to research and offer a bug fi for this problem.

Circling back on this post I made. I followed some of the tips in this thread (cleaning the holes, soaking the watch, using the water eject several times etc) and I have progress getting the speaker sounding better. It still does not sound as good as my Apple Watch 7, but it certainly is improved. I think the smaller speaker holes are the real culprit. They hold dirt and grime better than the larger speaker holes on the AW9 and earlier.

I am having the same issue with my Apple Watch 10 titanium. Nothing that is suggested in this thread has worked for me. Therefore, I have to send my watch in to be replaced. It’s frustrating to have these issues so I hope Apple addresses this and compensates those affected. I have also noticed that others have gotten replacements that have the same problem as their new device had.

Hi everyone,

I recently bought an Apple Watch Series 10 lte 46mm, and after about two weeks, I noticed a serious issue with the speaker. The sound became extremely quiet and distorted, making it almost impossible to use for calls. When comparing it to other Apple Watches, the volume is at least 80% lower.

I took it to an authorized service center, where they confirmed the issue and accepted it for repair. However, after a few days, I was told that three independent experts determined that the device is working fine. But the problem still exists.

If Apple resolved this through a software update, I would appreciate clear information about what was changed. Otherwise, I expect a proper fix, as I didn’t buy a nearly $700 watch just to struggle with basic functionality.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any solutions?

Heb hetzelfde probleem voorheen Watch 9 met perfect geluid, nu kan ik bijna niets horen als iemand mij belt zeer irritant, ben benieuwd of dit opgelost kan worden met een update of dat je je watch terug moet sturen voor reparatie en weer even zonder watch bent.

Finally! I have an update for everyone fighting this Watch Series 10 low volume+distortion issue. You are not alone and an escalation fix request is underway - via a firmware update! (per Apple Store)

Unfortunately, no timeline for the fix was available.

First, note that this is NOT a cleaning issue at least for my Series 10 watches (on #2 now) - my watch is always CLEAN with NO lotion or other gunk. Also do NOT get it wet, admittedly for mostly gray-hair paranoia reasons. Neither force-restart nor re-pairing the watch helped.

After a warranty replacement for my Series 10 and another repair disposition of "unable to reproduce" (but yet volume came back Ok again for a couple of weeks), this is starting to make sense. On the last "non-repair", I'm told the techs have a way to reload the firmware that fixes the volume... for the usual 2-4 weeks, before it backslides to useless. Now it's sounding like a firmware bug vs design problem.

Let's hope Apple prioritizes this firmware fix. In the meantime, sent my watch in for yet another replacement or firmware reload.

Taking calls is THE key feature for me, so this is a massive problem. Besides, running for my phone is sooooo 1997 ;)

Hope this helps folks suffering through the same pain. Hang in there!

Addendum: Apple phone bank support was completely useless for me, recommending only the same cleaning KB article I'd been through several times.

They had no knowledge of the Series 10 low volume+distortion problem or pending escalation fix.

I am lucky enough to have a local Apple store. Not sure I'd have any progress without their support.

How to adjust various sound volumes on Ap… - Apple Community

Which volume did you set to max?

How to adjust various sound volumes on Ap… - Apple Community