How to improve the audio quality on your iPhone

Engadget staff@engadget.com (Jack Peachey)

16 Sept 2026 06:00 AEST 1 min read Rewritten in plain language

Show what we removed Rules applied: A1 A3×2 A4 A6 D2×3 D3×12 D4×3 E3×41 F2×9 all 30 rules

Overview

Your iPhone sounds decent out of the box, but some tweaks can improve what you hear.
Luckily, there are several ways to improve your iPhone audio experience, and your options go far beyond adjusting audio settings on AirPods.
Naturally, having the right hardware for the job is important for optimizing audio quality; there isn't too much you can do with software to make an ultra-cheap speaker sound amazing.
For Apple Music, go to Settings > Apps > Music then tap Audio Quality and choose your settings for mobile data, Wi-Fi and downloads.
Apple Music also offers Hi-Res Lossless, which is studio-quality audio that uses even more data.

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Summarized version

The Settings app offer a smorgasbord of options for improving audio quality, from noise cancellation to equalizers and lossless audio.

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The article, shortened and in plain language

Your iPhone sounds decent out of the box, but some tweaks can improve what you hear.

Between listening to music, watching videos and taking calls, audio quality plays a big role in how you use and enjoy your iPhone.

Luckily, there are several ways to improve your iPhone audio experience, and your options go far beyond adjusting audio settings on AirPods. The Settings app offer a smorgasbord of options for improving audio quality, from noise cancellation to equalizers and lossless audio.

Naturally, having the right hardware for the job is important for optimizing audio quality; there isn't too much you can do with software to make an ultra-cheap speaker sound amazing. Then again, even high-quality equipment can sound better by tweaking some options, so it's wise to look at the issue from both sides of the coin.

Streaming apps have settings that adjust the audio quality delivered to your device. For Apple Music, go to Settings > Apps > Music then tap Audio Quality and choose your settings for mobile data, Wi-Fi and downloads.

Spotify offers the same setting under your profile picture at Settings and privacy > Media quality. Free users can only select from Low, Normal and High, while Premium subscribers can also choose Very high or Lossless.

The AirPods 4, AirPods Pro 3, USB-C AirPods Pro 2 and Powerbeats Pro 2 can support wireless lossless when paired with the Apple Vision Pro, though this is a niche case.

Apple Music also offers Hi-Res Lossless, which is studio-quality audio that uses even more data.

Shortened to 1 minute of reading, this version reads 15.9 on the Niral Score.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is Engadget's report shortened to its most important sentences, in plainer words, with verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

Indicators

Niral Score 16.8was 18.1 mundaneloaded

Highlighted in the text. Words that carry a fact and quoted words are not counted.

audio21settings15quality13sound8best7data6iphone6sounds6choose5need5options5use5adjust4headphones4you'll4frequencies3high-quality3improve3noise3phone3speaker3speakers3streaming3volume3across2app2certain2cleaning2device2downloads2earlier2equipment2find2get2good2help2look2mobile2offers2people2playing2privacy2profile2right2same2select2slider2subscribers2support2take2tap2you're2

Sentiment +0.3 hostilefavourable Mood 50 sorrowjoyful

6 read zero: political diction, generational, gender, jingoistic, religious, sourcing

Political diction 0 left-codedright-coded Generational 0 harder on the oldharder on the young Gender 0 no gendered framingframing throughout Jingoistic 0 reports to a readerwrites from a camp Religious 0 not invokedovert Sourcing 0 unattributednamed sources

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Outlet	Niral Score	Adjectives	Sentiment	Happiness
Engadgetas they published this story	18.1	25	0.3	50
Mundane Readneutralized from Engadget	16.8	24	0.3	50

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