Granular Volume 1.3.1: reduce volume below the hardware minimum (update now on F-Droid)

Apps
1

Hi everyone,

Granular Volume just got its first major update on F-Droid: 1.3.1 (was 1.1.2).

What it does: Android’s lowest volume step is a fixed fraction of your device’s maximum output, so on many phones and tablets even step 1 is too loud in a quiet room. Granular Volume applies attenuation below that hardware minimum through Android’s audio framework: seven steps, from no change down to 30 dB below the floor, in a small floating dial you can drag anywhere.

What’s new in 1.3.1 for F-Droid users:

  • Feature parity with the Play version (F-Droid was two versions behind)
  • Dedicated fdroid build flavor, built from source with no proprietary bits
  • Quick Settings tile to toggle the dial from the notification shade
  • Improved floating control with position memory

Privacy stance: no ads, no tracking, no account, and no internet permission at all. GPL 3.0.

F-Droid: Granular Volume: Quiet Dial | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository
Source: GitHub - Rzuss/granular-volume: Volume below Android's minimum. A floating overlay for finer attenuation than the hardware allows. Free, no ads, no tracking, GPL-3.0. · GitHub

I am the developer. Happy to answer questions, and device reports are very welcome (volume curves vary a lot between OEMs).

2

I put together a short demo so the behaviour is easier to judge than from a description:

Everything shown on the device is a real screen recording in one continuous take: Android’s own volume slider walking down to its floor, the quick settings tile switching the dial on, and then the dial continuing below that floor step by step. The audio drops with each on-screen step, so the difference is audible rather than just claimed.

Device reports are still very welcome. OEM volume curves differ a lot, so hearing how the floor behaves on your hardware is genuinely useful.

3

Small update: version 1.3.3 is on its way to F-Droid. It targets Android 16 now, with no new permissions, and it is still the fdroid flavor built from source with zero proprietary bits. Nothing changes in how the dial itself works.

Since a few of the questions that come up are device-specific, I wrote up a couple of short guides for the recurring cases, in case they are useful: