Volume buttons on the side of your iPhone You can change the volume of any music or podcast you're listening to without unlocking your device. These buttons can increase or decrease the volume by a set amount, but they may leave you with a choice between being a little too loud or a little too quiet. Luckily, you can return the volume bar to your device's lock screen, giving you more granular control over your iPhone's volume without unlocking the device.
Apple removed the volume bar from the lock screen when the company released iOS 16 in 2022. iOS 18.2 in 2024, this update brought the volume bar back to your iPhone's lock screen.
If you like using the volume bar, you can return it to the lock screen. Here's how to do it in a few simple steps.
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How to Get a Volume Bar on Your iPhone
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Availability.
3. Tap Audio and video under Hearing.
4. Click the switch next to Always show volume control.
Now, the next time you're listening to music or a podcast at the gym or on the bus, you can change the volume using the slider on your lock screen.
To learn more about iOS, here are the features included in iOS 26.2 And iOS 26.1. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet.
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