[msechea]

I don't get the Android and iOS people who want 5 different "volume" settings on one device. It's confusing and makes no sense.

It also means that, when apps adjust volume, it's inconsistent. Some apps will mute important volumes (like the alarm, which may make you sleep in).

Other times, you think audio is off when it's not. On the iPhone, for instance, you can actually put it in mute mode by flipping the mute switch (which Apple totally stole from Palm and the Treo, BTW -- where's the lawsuit?!?), and still have sound happen. This happened to me in an important meeting when I had an iPhone in "mute" mode that started BLASTING one of those annoying web video ads when I was looking up information pertinent to a topic being discussed. On Android and iOS devices, mute doesn't actually mean mute -- it means "sometimes mute."

With Windows Phone, audio is simple, easy and straightforward. Mute is ALWAYS mute, not "hopefully" mute. Volume level medium means medium volume, across the experience. It is how things should be. Multiple volumes is a complicated, confusing "feature" that adds nothing to the experience and significantly detracts from overall usability.

You are mistaken. Even when the phone is set to vibrate, when you take a screenshot it will still make a sound. Also when you hold down Start button to start TellMe, it was also make a sound.

[WPmunkey]

I like the volume controls just how they are. I don't like how they are on Android or even my old HD2. I just checked the setting on my HD2 to keep media and ringer the same.

The only thing I would like is to be able to cycle through silent/vibrate/vibe and ring all through the volume menu instead of just the 2

[DaveGx]

For those of you that like the "simple" non-existent control as it stands, how the heck do you lose if they give what most of us want? You can simply set all volume levels the same and be done with it.

[brmiller1976]

You are the king of mass generalization. 1976? I hope that's not your birth year.

Holy pointless, directionless ad hominem, Batman! :D

[brmiller1976]

For those of you that like the "simple" non-existent control as it stands, how the heck do you lose if they give what most of us want? You can simply set all volume levels the same and be done with it.

Because that's clunky and adds needless complexity.

I also don't buy that it is "what most users want." In fact, I would wager that the average (wo)man on the street with an Android or iOS handset has no idea that it has multiple volume settings, and gets regularly confused by the interaction.

[brmiller1976]

LOL It's not confusing on iOS.
What is so confusing... one is for Notifications... one is for everything else.


DONE!

Great.

So if I use the volume control on the side of the phone, which changes -- notifications or "everything else?" (Answer: depends on what app you're in, which is confusing and poor usability).

If I mute the phone, do notifications and everything else mute as well? (Answer: no, which means it isn't really an effective mute switch -- also poor usability).

So in order to reliably adjust volume, you have to enter into a complex control panel, distinguish which "sound types" you want, and then play around with them... making the hardware sound controls utterly useless.

Ask the average (wo)man on the street what a "notification sound" versus a "media sound" is, and they'll get confused very quickly. Is an alarm clock a notification? How about a meeting reminder? What about the ringtone? How about audio on a web site, or Spotify?

And if meeting reminders and alarm clock tones are both notifications, how come the mute switch works on one, but not the other?

Etc., etc., etc.

It's like a television that has four or five different volume switches -- one for commercials, one for dramas, one for music videos, one for comedies, one for "everything else." Is an infomercial a "commercial" or "everything else?" Is Buffy the Vampire Slayer a "comedy" or a "drama?" Is Glee a "music video" or "everything else?"

Incredibly cumbersome.

[kittshelby]

Sorry I have to disagree with OP. Windows Phone is my first smartphone so I have no experience with Iphone or Android, but I have to say, the one volume control is bothering me. Personally, I would love to have 3 separate controls.

There should be 1 control for ringer volume within the settings. I like to have my ringer LOUD, and with the one volume control, I have to keep remembering to lower my volume for apps and music (especially painful when I forget to lower the volume and put in earphones and then music BLASTS).

There should be a second volume for apps/games, and a third control for music.

I like my ringer loud, apps/games quiet, and music medium, therefore, a one volume control just don't work well for me and is a major annoyance.

[WPmunkey]

For those of you that like the "simple" non-existent control as it stands, how the heck do you lose if they give what most of us want? You can simply set all volume levels the same and be done with it.

Even though I don't like multiple volume controls, I am in no way standing in the way of making this happen. I wouldn't care is MS decided to add this next update. If t would help out converts from iOS and Android I'm all for it, I just don't see the point of it myself I guess.

[graigsmith]

the nice thing is that even if you got the volume off, the alarm still will ring. so you can wake up for work in the morning if you accidentally turned off the sound.

[lordofthereef]

The only people who want this feature are the same people who complain that Windows Phone isn't like iOS or Android. Sorry.

Those of us who have had devices for years view the "multiple volume settings" as the confusing usability nightmare that it is.

I just hate this sort of attitude; you are either with us or against us. :(

I'd certainly like to have a different volume over bluetooth (and why on earth can I control the volume on both a bluetooth stereo and through the phone... makes no sense), than over phone speakers, than over headphones. And yes, I use all three on a weekly, if not daily basis. It's annoying to turn your sound down when you have headphones plugged in and have to remember to turn it back up to hear the ringer later. What's worse is forgetting to turn the volume back down before plugging in your headphones and listening to some music.

I certainly doin't want WP to be like iOS and Android, unless of course this single feature, which is handled similarly in iOS and Android, can be considered me wanting WP to be like iOS and Android. It's great that you like the way the volume functions on WP8. There is no reason, though, to make blankets statements about those who may be unhappy with it.

[jfudge]

On WP8, can I turn off text message sounds and just hear phone call sounds? That's what I need to have.

You can. Just go to settings - ringtones+sounds - and for New text or IM select None.

[kbilly70]

I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would be against this. For those who want the added functionality, you can use it. If you don't want to, don't.

For me I would use it if available.

[dkp23]

Never liked the multi volume control. I understand why people would, but i find it amusing when some iphone/droid users think they are watching a video in secrecy and thinking their phone is on silent and then all of a sudden volume from the video plays out. happens all the time at work, it is so funny. Then it gets even funnier when they go brainfart by the surprise of the sound playing that they pound on the volume rocker and it doesnt do anything.

So i am glad i have it so i can sneak view a video comfortably....

[NoLoveForFrank]

There should be 1 control for ringer volume within the settings. I like to have my ringer LOUD, and with the one volume control, I have to keep remembering to lower my volume for apps and music (especially painful when I forget to lower the volume and put in earphones and then music BLASTS).

+1, or more.

Twice this week I've not thought about it, plugged in my headphones (inside the ear type), then screamed the F word and yanked them out as my "volume" was set at 25. Kinda painful, and I'd also think potentially dangerous to hearing.

[Tahiti Bob]

I like how people constantly try to turn a fault in WP into a feature. The big one was you don't need a notification center when you have live tiles but now that it's coming we're on volume settings I guess. I also like how requests for missing features are now systematically made by "iOS and Android people".
The more things go the more the WP emerges as the worst in the mobile world, just wait until someone calls me a troll.

[Squadromeo]

The only people who want this feature are the same people who complain that Windows Phone isn't like iOS or Android. Sorry.

Those of us who have had devices for years view the "multiple volume settings" as the confusing usability nightmare that it is.

That is absolutely nonsense! When I listen to music or watch a movie on my LG E900 via headphones, I have to lower the volume to 6-7. If I forget to raise the volume again after media playback, there's no way I'm gonna hear the ringtone when the phone is in my pocket. It really needs to be crancked up all the way to 30 (max).

[jaif]

That is absolutely nonsense! When I listen to music or watch a movie on my LG E900 via headphones, I have to lower the volume to 6-7. If I forget to raise the volume again after media playback, there's no way I'm gonna hear the ringtone when the phone is in my pocket. It really needs to be crancked up all the way to 30 (max).

This +1. I understand most of the other sides presented in this thread, but how can you ignore the difference between headphones and speaker? This one issue is really starting to bother me.

[socialcarpet]

Now, I'm one of the biggest WP fanboy defenders you will meet, but I swear if Windows Phone had the volume permanently set at 15 with no way to adjust it, brmiller1976 would be tell us all how thats an advantage because being able to adjust it from 1-30 is just too confusing and would ruin the elegant simplicity of Windows Phone.

[Green_Is_The_Color]

Having one volume control for everything is totally ******ed. My hearing is not impaired and I want my music to be on 3/30 while on headphones, while I want to have ringtone and notifications on 30/30, since it's hard to hear when it's in the other room. Thought wp8 was cool, but this is really frustrating, I've already missed like 10 calls because of this bull****, and I have the phone only for 4 days...

If anyone knows a solution to this, even a clunky one, let me know please.

[Dave Blake]

I like the way the sound settings on Windows Phone work at this time. If I would change anything it would be to add a bedside mode. Just something simple that could be set to start and end at a set time.

[tk-093]

Having one volume control for everything is totally ******ed. My hearing is not impaired and I want my music to be on 3/30 while on headphones, while I want to have ringtone and notifications on 30/30, since it's hard to hear when it's in the other room. Thought wp8 was cool, but this is really frustrating, I've already missed like 10 calls because of this bull****, and I have the phone only for 4 days...

If anyone knows a solution to this, even a clunky one, let me know please.

The only possible solution I can think of in your case is to get headphones that have their own volume slider build into the headphones. I had some kiddie headphones that did that, so no matter how much the device was cranked, the headphones kept it at a set level.

I don't know if adult type ones exist.. here is an example of the kids one I just found: http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/headp...ds-nabi-notes/

I really hope they address it in a future update. By default you can just leave the volume linked and allow people to go into the settings, check a box and BAM, independant volumes. Makes everybody happy.

[rockstarzzz]

Having one volume control for everything is totally ******ed. My hearing is not impaired and I want my music to be on 3/30 while on headphones, while I want to have ringtone and notifications on 30/30, since it's hard to hear when it's in the other room. Thought wp8 was cool, but this is really frustrating, I've already missed like 10 calls because of this bull****, and I have the phone only for 4 days...

If anyone knows a solution to this, even a clunky one, let me know please.

This made WP uncool?

Welcome to WP Central. Excellent first post.

Edit: Oh, and the solution, a rather clunky one is, turn on vibration i.e. ring+vibrate.

[Dave Blake]

Having one volume control for everything is totally ******ed. My hearing is not impaired and I want my music to be on 3/30 while on headphones, while I want to have ringtone and notifications on 30/30, since it's hard to hear when it's in the other room. Thought wp8 was cool, but this is really frustrating, I've already missed like 10 calls because of this bull****, and I have the phone only for 4 days...

If anyone knows a solution to this, even a clunky one, let me know please.

Get a Bluetooth headset like the LG-HBS 730. I use these they sound great and use their own independent volume controls.

[sdrawkcabII]

Man, I hate to say it, but it's the little things like this that **** me off about Microsoft. Why are they so slow to adding small, commonsense features? Do their WP8 staff even have other phones? Isn't it mandatory that in comps like these, they're required to use devices the competition developed, so they can see what are good features to implement/ improve upon? These are the little details that Microsoft are not paying attention to, how, I don't know. Must something like this really need to be submitted to their site by users? MICROSOFT, if you or anyone of your representatives are reading this, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER, FAST!

[kyle7286]

I'd like to have the option at least. Playing music through the stereo on my car over bluetooth requires me to crank up the volume on the phone to 30 to hear anything, and it's a little annoying to have to crank that up/down whenever I get in/out of the car.

I don't really see how having multiple volume controls would be worse, it's managing a couple of volume levels some of the time vs cranking up control up/down on a situation by situation basis.

I have the same experience. I always bluetooth stream music in my car. I have to crank the volume up to 30/30. HOWEVER, i noticed that once the phone recognizes its playing music, it goes to 30/30 like i set it to. And when i stop the music, it goes back to 20/30 automatically. I observed that a couple times already.