The Pixel 10 is a dream phone, but this volume limitation is its biggest frustration

In addition to getting a bloatware-free Android experience, there are plenty of other advantages of owning a Pixel phone. You get to try the Android updates before anyone else, and if you have one of the latest Pixel models like the Pixel 10, you can also enjoy some really cool features like Add Me and Magic Cue.

While all these capabilities are great, I discovered a very annoying volume limitation of Pixel phones while going through Reddit recently. Here's what the problem is exactly about and what's the best thing you can do to work around it.

This one volume quirk could really drive you nuts

While going through r/AndroidQuestions, I found a post from a Pixel 8 Pro user who has the Android 17 update installed, asking whether it's possible to increase the notification volume while keeping the ring volume at zero. In case you are not aware, if you move the ring volume slider all the way to zero, then the notification sound is also automatically disabled.

You won't be able to only increase the notification volume and will see a message that says, "unavailable because the ring is muted." This limitation isn't exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro, but you can spot it in all the Pixel models, including the latest Pixel 10 family.

As of now, there is no official setting that you can enable or disable to get rid of this restriction. However, there are two very smart workarounds that could actually help you in this situation.

Use the Do Not Disturb function

Similar to all Android devices, Pixel phones also come with the Do Not Disturb feature. As you can guess by its name, once you enable it, your phone will ensure that you are not disturbed by anything like calls or message notifications. This feature is basically used during meetings or situations when you don't want calls to interrupt your workflow; however, you can use it to solve the problem at hand as well.

What you basically need to do is configure the Do Not Disturb feature to allow notifications from selected applications. This way, you will continue to hear the notification sound and see its pop-up appearing on the screen while also not getting disturbed by calls. Here's how you can configure this on a Pixel phone:

• Open the Settings menu and select Modes
• Choose Do Not Disturb
• Select Apps, and tap the gear icon next to Selected apps
• Hit Add apps and choose the app whose notification you want to receive even when the DND mode is enabled
• Enable Allow all notifications, or turn on the toggle next to the type you want to receive

Set your ringtone to a silent audio file

This is the workaround that I personally perform on my Pixel 10. You need to basically set a silent audio file as your ringtone.

This way, you will not hear the ringing sound even when the ring volume is set to its highest level. The device will simply vibrate. Fortunately, you don't need to download a silent audio file from the internet, as the "None" option in the Sound and Vibration settings of Pixel phones performs the same function.

Here's exactly what you need to do:

• Open settings and go to Sound & vibration
• Select Ringtone, and then My Sounds
• Choose None from the available options, and then tap Save at the top-right corner