Is Volume Button change with orientation dead?

[Kaze9]

There used to be a setting in Settings > Sounds that would allow the volume button Up / Down to be contextual based on the iPad orientation in either vertical or horizontal.

That seems to have disappeared completely now in iPadOS 26. Feels a bit insignificant but for people who use it it’s as jarring as having the Natural Scrolling toggle disappear. Hopefully I’m not alone and this is available somewhere else in the settings.

 

[BigBlur]

Which iPad do you have? That may make a difference.

If you have one of the newer ones, I wouldn't expect there to be a toggle for the dynamic volume buttons, since it's "always on" for those devices. (No toggle exists for those iPads in older iPadOS versions either.)

Only the older iPads have had the toggle, but I’m not sure if it was removed in iPadOS 26 or not.

This article lists which iPads don't have the toggle today.

Use the Home, side, and other buttons on your iPad - Apple Support

Learn about the buttons and switches on your iPad.

support.apple.com

 

[Kaze9]

Which iPad do you have? That may make a difference.

If you have one of the newer ones, I wouldn't expect there to be a toggle for the dynamic volume buttons, since it's "always on" for those devices. (No toggle exists for those iPads in older iPadOS versions either.)

Only the older iPads have had the toggle, but I’m not sure if it was removed in iPadOS 26 or not.

This article lists which iPads don't have the toggle today.

Use the Home, side, and other buttons on your iPad - Apple Support

Learn about the buttons and switches on your iPad.

support.apple.com

Just updated to an M2 iPad Pro but the feature was available on my old iPad Pro A12Z. I had no idea it was a disabled feature, that’s such an odd choice.

 

[It’s always something]

Just updated to an M2 iPad Pro but the feature was available on my old iPad Pro A12Z. I had no idea it was a disabled feature, that’s such an odd choice.

I agree — in fact, I think you are being too kind. It’s a terrible choice. The meaning of a button shouldn’t change because of the way I’m holding the device. That’s irrational over-engineered nonsense.

 

[Marli]

It’s changes on my ipad, and the change is 100% logical. When in portrait the up button is volume up, logical, and when in landscape the top, now left button is volume down..

 

[mrochester]

Buttons changing their action based on context is bad design. It’s why the back button/gesture on android is so bad because its action is inconsistent.

 

[richpjr]

Buttons changing their action based on context is bad design. It’s why the back button/gesture on android is so bad because its action is inconsistent.

Agree - it seems odd to have buttons work differently based on orientation.

 

[DomC]

Such an absolutely stupid idea. And a perfect example of fixing something not broken.
What logic would dictate that the left button is Volume Down when in a horizontal position? How many engineers did it take to come up with this kluge?

 

[mrochester]

Such an absolutely stupid idea. And a perfect example of fixing something not broken.
What logic would dictate that the left button is Volume Down when in a horizontal position? How many engineers did it take to come up with this kluge?

The logic is that the volume bar fills up from left to right on the screen so to get less volume you press the button to the left and to get more volume you press the button to the right.

The trouble is applying that logic means the buttons change functionality between orientations. This is a situation where logic should be ignored to maintain consistency.

 

[DomC]

The logic is that the volume bar fills up from left to right on the screen so to get less volume you press the button to the left and to get more volume you press the button to the right.

Ah, new the old right-side bar-fill-up logic that users clamored for since the unlogical left-side bar-fill-up version worked so badly.

 

[It’s always something]

The logic is that the volume bar fills up from left to right on the screen so to get less volume you press the button to the left and to get more volume you press the button to the right.

The trouble is applying that logic means the buttons change functionality between orientations. This is a situation where logic should be ignored to maintain consistency.

The consistency that should be maintained is the function of the buttons. “When you hold it this way, it works differently” is absurd.

 

[mrochester]

The consistency that should be maintained is the function of the buttons. “When you hold it this way, it works differently” is absurd.

Agreed.