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iPhone Gets Per-App Volume Control via Shortcuts Automation

A new Shortcuts automation lets iPhone users set and restore individual media volume for each app, filling an iOS gap. The solution, reported by Minority, relies on iOS 27's storage feature and two automations.

AI News Feed · 2026-08-24 14:53

Many Android devices have long supported independent volume per app, but iOS has never offered this option. Users often need different volumes in scenarios such as short-video apps, video streaming, music players, or bedtime listening. With Shortcuts automation, a similar effect is possible: switching to a specified volume when launching an app and restoring the previous volume when closing it.

The setup relies on two automations. When an app is opened, the shortcut saves the current media volume, stores the app's name, and reads the saved volume for that app from storage before setting it. When the app is closed, the shortcut retrieves the stored app name, obtains the volume adjusted during the session and saves it, then restores the original volume from before entering the app. iOS 27 introduced a new storage capability for Shortcuts, allowing persistent data to be saved and read later. With global value enabled, different shortcuts can access and modify the stored data, making it more suitable for saving settings and state than relying on clipboard, notes, or files.

For compatibility with iOS 26 and earlier, Minority provides a file-based alternative. The logic remains the same, but data is stored as files in the Shortcuts folder. In the file retrieval step, the “not found” error must be disabled to avoid issues on the first open, since the file only exists after the first close automation has run.

Users also need to turn off “Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Change with Buttons.” This is because the Shortcuts action “Get Device Details” can only retrieve the current volume for the ringer, not media volume. Until Apple provides a separate API, disabling the button adjustment enables the shortcut to work with media volume.

The method has limitations. When an app is opened for the first time, its volume resets to zero, requiring a manual adjustment. Also, each automatic volume adjustment causes the volume indicator to appear.

Minority's article provides shortcut links for both iOS 27 and iOS 26 and earlier versions, allowing users to configure the automations.