By default, this iPhone feature is turned off, and it's great... This is how to turn it on.
For years, iOS allowed mobile phone users to control music playback from the lock screen via a widget that appeared when a music app was detected. However, this feature has become somewhat limited in the latest versions of the iPhone operating system. The player displays a progress bar, album art, back or skip buttons, and pause/stop buttons. There's also a shortcut to mark a song as a favorite. But there's no volume slider.
Apple decided to remove this feature in iOS 16, apparently deeming it unnecessary. After all, volume can be easily controlled using the side buttons, or even from Control Center when the device is unlocked. However, having a volume slider on the lock screen offered faster and smoother access, especially when the iPhone is placed on a flat surface, such as a desk.
After several complaints, Apple decided to bring back this feature in iOS 18.2. Volume control on the music player on the lock screen is still available in iOS 26. However, not everyone knows that it is disabled by default; it must be enabled through Settings.
How to enable volume control on your iPhone lock screen
To enable the volume slider on the media player on the lock screen, follow these simple steps that will only take a few seconds. No third-party apps are required, and this feature is available in all iOS versions starting with 18.2, including 26.4.
First, go to Settings, then tap Accessibility. Next, scroll down to the Hearing section, then tap Audio & Visual Effects. Finally, tap Always show volume control.
Now, the volume control bar will appear on the lock screen when any content is playing. Remember that you can disable it at any time by following the same steps.