The iPhone is a phenomenal device that allows users to do an almost unlimited number of things. But one of the most popular uses of the iPhone, of course, is playing music. Matter of fact, when Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, a big chunk of the presentation was dedicated to the iPhone’s music playing capabilities.

The thing is, sometimes it seems like the iPhone might not be living up to its music player abilities because sounds can seem quieter than you want them toon the device. The first response to this is to jack up the volume. But even then sometimes that doesn’t give you the volume boost you need. And if jacking up the volume isn’t enough for you, we’ve got four tips that you should consider to getting your iPhone to go louder.

A Word Of Warning: Protect Your Ears

Before you implement any of these tips–or just jack up your iPhone volume to the max and pray for the best–keep in mind that the iPhone, like most audio devices, is capable of playing sounds at a level that, over a sustained period of time, could damage your hearing. So remember: always protect your hearing first. You can find tips and information about hearing health here.

Got all that? Good. Now, here’s how you could help give your iPhone a volume boost.

Change EQ Settings

One of the best-hidden ways to make your iPhone louder–especially when listening to music–is to enable the equalizer settings. iOS offers a ton of EQ settings that can help change the way your music sounds, but there is one EQ setting that we want to spotlight–and no, it is NOT the “Loudness” setting. It’s actually the “Late Night” EQ setting.

Why Late Night? Because this EQ setting, when enabled, normalizes all the sounds in the music you are listening to. This means the quiet sounds in a song will be increased in volume to match the louder elements of the song. Overall, then, the whole song sounds louder.

To enable the Late Night EQ setting, do the following:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Music.
3. Tap EQ.
4. Tap Late Night so there is a blue checkmark next to it.

After doing this, the Late Night equalizer setting will be automatically applied to all your tunes.

Disable Volume Limit

Another way to increase the loudness of your iPhone is by disabling the Volume Limit (if it is enabled). The Volume Limit is a hearing health safety measure built into iOS. It allows the user to set a maximum volume sounds can be played at. This maximum volume can be set at a level well below what the iPhone’s volume is capable of going to.

Obviously, most people should keep the Volume Limit setting engaged, because it is there to protect your hearing. However, if you do want to disable it–and thus reclaim higher volume levels–here’s how:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Sounds & Haptics (or just Sounds on older iPhones).
3. Tap Headphone Safety.
4. Disable the Reduce Loud Sounds volume limit by toggling OFF (turning it to white) the switch.

Again, we recommend keeping this setting enabled, but you can change it if you wish.

Clean Your Speaker Grills

If you’re listening to music or taking a call on speakerphone and the volume just doesn’t seem loud enough even though you have it jacked to the max, you may want to clean your iPhone’s speaker grills. This is because the grills can become blocked with dust and lint over time.

Cleaning your iPhone’s speaker grills isn’t much different than cleaning your iPhone’s Lightning ports. The best way to clean them is to gently blow into them, which could help scatter loose dust or lint. Another option is–VERY VERY GENTLY– use a thin sewing needle to gently prod the dust or lint from the speaker grill holes. However, do this with extreme caution so you do not damage your device.

Use A Cup – No, Really!

Finally–and this is our favorite–a great way to boost your iPhone’s volume–especially when on speakerphone or using its built-in speakers to play music is….just put the iPhone in an empty glass cup or bowl. No really. Try it. Put your iPhone into speakerphone mode and set it in an empty glass cup or bowl. The sound waves from the speaker will hit the glass, which will in turn amplify your iPhone’s sounds.

Who says you need an expensive wireless speaker anyway?