The volume is maxed out, but that doesn’t stop me from hitting the volume key on my Nexus 7 in hopes that it will magically get louder. This happens to me everyday as I watch videos or play music. The simple fact is that a Nexus 7 tablet just doesn’t get very loud. At least, not loud enough for me.

While you could attempt to use various equalizers or other third-party apps that claim to be volume boosters, today I’ll be showing you how to settle this once and for all by adjusting your Nexus 7’s volume at the system level, which noticeably increases the overall volume for the device.

Prerequisites

This mod is only for the Nexus 2013 model. Do not attempt to flash these on a 2012 model, or at least create a backup if you’re feeling adventurous.

To perform this mod, you will need full access to your tablet’s system, which means you need to be rooted. If you haven’t done so already, check out our always-updated rooting guide to get that process taken care of.

After rooting your device, you will need to install a custom recovery on your Nexus so you can successfully flash the mod. Take a look at our TWRP guide to get that started.

Step 1: Download Your Volume Level Mod

Thanks to the efforts of developer Robert Shreve, you have three viable options for boosting the volume on your Nexus 7 beyond its stock level of 84 (and one option as a precaution to revert back to stock levels):

• Volume Level 90 (alternate link via jordi.id96)
• Volume Level 95 (alternate link via jordi.id96)
• Volume Level 98 (alternate link via jordi.id96)
• Stock Volume Level (84)

Personally, 95 is the perfect level; it has the capacity to get really loud, but not too distorted, like 98. Volume level 90 isn’t too much of an upgrade, but you can always download them all, test them out, and settle on the one that sounds best to you.

Step 2: Enter TWRP

With the ZIP files tucked away in your Download folder, enter your custom recovery to begin flashing—you can do this by powering down your device, then powering it back on by holding the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time.

Step 3: Flash the Volume File

Once in TWRP, select “Install,” locate the “Download” folder, and select the Volume ZIP file you chose to use in the previous step. Then just swipe to flash it.

Step 4: Enjoy Higher Volume

After your Nexus boots back up, test the volume levels by playing some music or a video. All of the volumes on your device will be higher, including system sounds, media, and headphone levels.

Check out some other awesome ways you can improve the music listening experience on your Nexus, and let us know what you think of this hack, and which volume level you went with, in the comment section below.