Volume boost does nothing
The steps are decibels
Section titled “The steps are decibels”Off, +3, +6, +9, +12 dB.
They used to be labelled as percentages, and the labels were misleading. A “200 %” amplitude multiplier is about +6 dB, while a doubling of perceived loudness is nearer +10 dB. So people turned it to “200 %”, heard a modest lift, and concluded it was broken. It was not broken, the label was.
At +3 dB the difference is genuinely small. If you want an obvious change, go to +9 or +12.
On a Samsung phone
Section titled “On a Samsung phone”Samsung applies its own audio processing on top of the app’s, and on some models it flattens the boost to nothing. The boost is applied to the app’s own audio session, so a system-wide effect sits above it and wins.
Worth trying:
- Turn Adapt Sound, UHQ upscaler and any equaliser off in the phone’s sound settings.
- Try wired headphones or Bluetooth rather than the built-in speaker, or the other way round. The processing differs per output.
- Raise the system volume as well. The boost multiplies what is there; it cannot amplify silence.
Why it sometimes shows fewer steps
Section titled “Why it sometimes shows fewer steps”The engine decides. The extended engine on the desktop refuses anything above a 200 % amplitude multiplier, so the higher steps are hidden there rather than shown and silently clamped.
If you see three steps on one device and five on another, that is why.
It went back to Off on its own
Section titled “It went back to Off on its own”It is applied per playback session on purpose. A boost that stayed on forever would make the next normal stream unpleasant.