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Sometimes I want to play games in (near) silence, and don't like the background music to disturb people. If I use the volume buttons, the ringtone volume is changed instead of media volume. When I'm already in the game, the volume buttons do change the volume of background music, but it's kinda too late.

Is there a way for me to change the media volume to a level I like, from the home screen, before starting apps/games?

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2
  • I used to go to settings-sounds-media volume, but since the 2.2 update that feature seems to be gone. I figure it has just been moved but I can't find it anywhere. Any ideas where it went?
    – user5983
    Commented Jun 17, 2011 at 14:01
  • Cyanogenmod 12.1 or 13 has an option to make the volume buttons always control multimedia volume (settings, buttons, control ringtone) and this is a lifesaver for me.
    – Damn Vegetables
    Commented Dec 20, 2015 at 1:29

10 Answers 10

Reset to default
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  1. You can go to Settings > Sound > Volume and turn down the Media volume all the way to 0.

  2. I used AutomateIt to Mute Media sound unless the earphone is plugged.

  3. A hack that I used to do is to just cover up the speaker hole until I can turn down the volume.

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  • 1
    Nice answer! (1) can be used without an extra app, and (3) is just awesome :)
    – phunehehe
    Commented May 29, 2011 at 13:20
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On AOSP Android 6.0 Marshmallow, this feature is integrated into the OS.

From an article on Pocket-lint,

Android 6.0 Marshmallow: Volume controls

One of the places where Lollipop went a little haywire was with the volume and controlling those new notifications. These new fangled volume controls sent ripples across Android devices on Lollipop with manufacturer skins that followed, and have been tweaked by all and sundry ever since.

On Android 6.0 Marshmallow, they have changed. Hooray!

Hitting volume down or up will open the volume controller and a drop-down arrow will let you change the ringer volume, alarm volume and media volume independently. That means you can ensure that game you're about to start up in bed doesn't blare out music as soon as it opens.

Android 6.0 expanded volume control

Image courtesy of TrustedReviews

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    What's annoying is that sometimes the drop-down isn't displayed, for reasons that I can't fathom. Any idea why that happens?
    – markrian
    Commented Jan 3, 2017 at 14:00
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If you have Tasker, you can use it to adjust your media volume based on proximity to a WiFi network and many other conditions. I have mine configured to set the media volume to 1 when in range of the office WiFi (as well as setting the ringer volume to an appropriate level, etc.). You can also configure gestures as triggers, but I have not tried this.

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3

On some firmware (e.g. Xperia Z series, WanamLite Jellybean ROM), when you hit the hardware volume keys, a slider pops up with a settings icon next to it. Tapping on this icon allows you to change the Media Volume:

Jellybean method

Click image to view larger version

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  • 4
    It is not the standard volume control box and may be OEM specific or only available in custom ROMs. Hence this might not work for all the phones.
    – k1chy
    Commented Mar 13, 2014 at 8:39
  • @k1chy, oh really? So it's still necessary to go all the way into settings on vanilla Android 4.1? This screenshot is actually from the WanamLite ROM, but I thought the same feature was on stock Jellybean actually.
    – Tim Rae
    Commented Mar 13, 2014 at 9:33
  • yes. Even in stock 4.4 (Nexus 5) it is the same way. Custom ROMs have the expandable volume control for ages though.
    – k1chy
    Commented Mar 13, 2014 at 12:11
  • Works for me on my S4! Exactly what I was looking for.
    – WillC
    Commented Aug 9, 2015 at 23:42
  • This works on my jelly bean phone too. I guess it works on Samsung ROMs.
    – Nikhil Alex George
    Commented Jan 23, 2017 at 10:27
2

Much simpler way to do,

  1. Open your music player(any) app
  2. Without playing any song just lower the volume from the volume rockers(buttons) while in the app.

This will lower the all media Volume. :-)

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The people at bug #65491 and Android Central suggest the app Rocker Locker.

  1. Install Rocker Locker.
  2. Launch it (screenshot).
  3. Tap “Enable” (screenshot).
  4. Remove the automatically created app shortcut from your launcher/homescreen (do not uninstall it, of course) because you are never going to need to open it again.

This app was created specifically to address the annoyance with the functionality of volume buttons in Android 5.x (Lollipop). The app causes the volume buttons to always change the media volume instead of ringer volume. It works from the lock screen. It claims to work across restarts, though I haven’t tried this.

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I think Rocker locker is battery drainer because it play empty media file on background service and it makes white noise.

I suggest utility app named NGC 4388 on Play store is better than before. The app doesn't make white noise and battery drain.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=catchpower.gogo.blackholeaddons

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I suggest Rocker Locker, the best choice for android, keep it auto-run when restart. The ringtone volume can be adjust by drop-down shortcut, and volume-up,down button can be used to adjust media volume, it's perfect. can't live without it Lol:)

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  • btw, NGC 4388 which @user206070 suggested is good, but it's too heavy for me that only want to controller media volume users.
    – K.Qiu
    Commented Jan 23, 2017 at 10:27
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go to settings, then sound and vibration, look for "use volume keys for media" turn it off! it took me 2 weeks of HORROR to find it. s8 plus owner

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if you have samsung s7 + I know you can enable Media Volume to be adjusted without playing media by default, just press volume key down up then pie swipe handle down then press use volume keys for media or on Oreo press the arrow in top corner then at bottom press use volume keys for media also found in device settings tab sounds.

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