If you’re listening to music or a podcast and want to change the volume without unlocking your iPhone, then you probably press the buttons on the side of your phone. Those buttons can increase or decrease your volume a set amount, but they could leave you choosing between a volume that is slightly too loud or a bit too quiet. If you keep your iPhone up to date with the latest iOS releases, you can bring the volume bar back to your device’s Lock Screen, giving you more precise control over your iPhone’s volume without unlocking your device.
Apple removed the volume bar from your Lock Screen when the company released iOS 16 in 2022. But when the company released iOS 18.2 in December, that update allowed you to bring the volume bar back to your iPhone’s Lock Screen. If you like using the volume bar, you can return it to your Lock Screen.
Here’s how you can reintroduce the volume bar to your Lock Screen in a few easy steps.
How to get the volume bar on your iPhone
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Accessibility.
3. Tap Audio & Visual under Hearing.
4. Tap the toggle 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 by using the slider on your Lock Screen.
For more on iOS 18, here’s what you need to know about iOS 18.6 and iOS 18.5, as well as our iOS 18 cheat sheet. You can also check out what you should know about iOS 26 and my first impressions of the iOS update.
Watch this: 26 More Things Hidden in iOS 26
