Chances are that your headphones or earbuds come in a pair. Humans have two ears, and stereo sound plays different bits of sound in each ear. But maybe you listen to music on your phone with just one ear. Perhaps you're deaf in the other ear, or have a dead earbud.

Whatever the case, you can make listening to music through one channel much more pleasant on Android and iOS by adjusting the balance.

For iOS, go to Settings > General > Accessibility. Under the Hearing section, adjust the slider for a balance between the left and right channels. You should also enable Mono Audio so that both ears receive the same output -- ensuring you don't miss any sound intended for the other ear.

On Android, this is a bit trickier. Visiting Settings, then scrolling down to Accessibility near the bottom, will provide a menu where you can enable Mono Audio. There was once an entire Hearing header with a Sound balance option, but that's disappeared in newer versions of Android for some reason. If you aren't running the latest version of Android, it's worth checking for this.

Otherwise, some Samsung Galaxy devices have an option to change the sound output. Plug in headphones and look for Settings > Sound > Adapt Sound. This plays a series of beeps, similar to a hearing test, to ascertain your hearing levels. Your phone will then adjust audio output accordingly. Aside from this, the only other way on Android is using root-only tools, like the Xposed module Audio Balance.

Once you've made changes, make sure they're correct by using a stereo test video like this one:

Does adjusting the balance of your headphones help you better enjoy music? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credit: retoncy via Shutterstock