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AppVolume vs Samsung Sound Assistant: Per-App Volume Compared
By the llcloud team 5 min read
The short answer
On a Galaxy phone that supports it, start with Sound Assistant: it is free, made by Samsung's Good Lock team and does far more than per-app volume. Pick AppVolume, once it launches, if your phone is not a Samsung, or you want a per-app boost up to 200% and per-app left and right balance without an accessibility service.
Sound Assistant is a free Good Lock module for Samsung Galaxy phones, installed from the Galaxy Store. It adds individual app volumes plus an equalizer, 150 volume steps, a custom volume panel and more. AppVolume, now on Google Play, works on any phone with Android 11 or newer, gives each app its own slider, and in Pro boosts a single app up to 200%. It sets up once through Wireless debugging.
Android has one media volume for every app, which is why "turn the game down, keep the podcast up" is such a common wish. Samsung answered it years ago with Sound Assistant, a Good Lock module that Samsung says is Good Lock's most downloaded feature. AppVolume is our per-app volume app for any Android phone. If you own a Galaxy, Sound Assistant is free and very capable, and we will say so plainly. This comparison is as of October 2026 and uses Sound Assistant's Galaxy Store listing and Samsung's own pages for its facts. AppVolume is available on Google Play now.
AppVolume vs Sound Assistant at a glance
| AppVolume | Sound Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Available now | ✓ | ✓ (Galaxy Store) |
| Phones | Any phone with Android 11 or newer | Samsung Galaxy, some devices not supported |
| Price | Free for three apps, Pro one-time | Free |
| Separate volume for each app | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apps play at different levels at once | ✓ | ✓ (multi sound) |
| Mute one app | ✓ | ✓ |
| Levels remembered per app | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boost one app above 100% | ✓ (Pro, up to 200%) | Not listed |
| Left and right balance per app | ✓ (Pro) | Left and right balance listed, not per app |
| Equalizer | ✗ | ✓ (floating EQ) |
| Fine volume steps | ✗ | ✓ (150 steps) |
| Volume keys control media | ✗ | ✓ |
| Send one app to Bluetooth or speaker | ✗ | ✓ |
| Custom volume panel | Quick Settings mixer, notification, widget | ✓ |
| Accessibility service | ✗ | Not stated |
| Setup | Wireless debugging once | Install from Galaxy Store |
What does Sound Assistant do?
A lot more than per-app volume. Its Galaxy Store listing describes individual application volume, so you can control music and games differently, and multi sound, so all apps can play at the same time. It also lists 150 steps of fine volume, a floating equalizer with presets you can save and share, mono audio and left and right balance, volume keys that control media instead of the ringtone, switching an app's output between Bluetooth and speaker, a customizable volume panel and options for where ringtones and alarms play when earphones are connected. Samsung's newsroom adds that it can keep media volume from dropping during navigation.
On top of that, One UI itself has Settings > Sounds and vibration > Separate app sound, which plays one app's audio on a different device, such as navigation on the phone speaker while music plays in the car. The wording differs by One UI version.
For a Galaxy owner, that is a strong free toolkit. Our guide on setting a different volume for each app on Android walks through it.
Why would anyone use AppVolume instead?
The main reason is your phone. Sound Assistant lives in the Galaxy Store and is built for One UI. On a Pixel, Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, vivo or any other Android phone, it is simply not an option, and stock Android still has one media volume for everything.
AppVolume gives every app its own slider, from silent to full, on any phone with Android 11 or newer. Two apps can play at different levels side by side, levels are remembered and applied every time an app plays, and you can set a level in advance for an app that is not playing yet. A Quick Settings tile opens the mixer over any app, and there is a mixer notification and a home screen widget.
What does AppVolume add on a Galaxy?
Two things Sound Assistant's listing does not describe for a single app:
- A per-app boost. AppVolume Pro lifts one quiet app or video up to 200%, without touching the rest.
- Per-app balance. Pro can shift each app's sound left or right on its own.
AppVolume also needs no accessibility service. It does not watch your screen or your volume keys, and it never hears, records or sends your audio. It only turns each app's level up or down.
Where Sound Assistant wins on a Galaxy: it has an equalizer, fine volume steps, audio routing and volume key options that AppVolume does not offer at all.
How do you set each one up?
Sound Assistant is installed from the Galaxy Store, where it sits with the other Good Lock modules. Its listing notes that some devices may not be supported, so check the store on your phone.
AppVolume needs one permission that only the phone's developer tools can give, because Android protects other apps' audio. The app walks you through it on the phone: turn on Developer options, connect to Wi-Fi, turn on Wireless debugging and type a six-digit pairing code. No computer and no root. You can turn Wireless debugging off again afterwards, and the permission stays through restarts and updates. If you already use Shizuku or root, those work too.
Are there limits?
Yes, for both. Sound Assistant follows One UI versions, and its update notes say each major version supports a matching One UI release.
AppVolume works with most apps that play sound, not all of them. A few apps play audio in ways Android does not let anything change, such as some games with low-latency audio, and AppVolume tells you when that happens. When an app starts playing, there can be a split second at its normal volume before your level applies.
Which should you choose?
Choose Sound Assistant if:
- You have a supported Samsung Galaxy phone.
- You want an equalizer, fine volume steps or audio routing as well as per-app volume.
- You want it free, today.
Choose AppVolume, once it launches, if:
- Your phone is not a Samsung.
- You want to boost one quiet app up to 200%, or balance it left or right.
- You prefer an app that needs no accessibility service.
Also weighing a volume steps and equalizer app? See AppVolume vs Precise Volume. Galaxy owners who want a notification light around the camera can read our Samsung notification light guide, which covers AuraDisplay. And if any app on your Galaxy stops working in the background, see how to stop Samsung killing apps.
Sources
Questions
Is Sound Assistant free?
Yes. Sound Assistant is listed as free in the Galaxy Store and is published by Good Lock Labs, Samsung's customization team. It is part of the Good Lock family of modules. AppVolume is free for three apps, and AppVolume Pro is a one-time purchase that covers every app.
Can I get Sound Assistant on a phone that is not a Samsung?
No. It comes from the Galaxy Store and is built for Samsung's One UI, and its listing notes that some devices may not be supported. On a Pixel, Xiaomi, OnePlus or other Android phone you need a separate per-app volume app. AppVolume, now on Google Play, works on any phone with Android 11 or newer.
Does Sound Assistant let two apps play at different volumes at once?
Its listing describes individual application volume, so you can set music and games differently, and multi sound so all apps can play at the same time. AppVolume does the same on any phone: two apps can play side by side, each at its own level, and your levels are applied every time that app plays.
Do I need AppVolume if I already have Sound Assistant?
Probably not for basic per-app volume. Sound Assistant covers that and adds an equalizer, fine volume steps and audio routing. AppVolume adds a boost above 100% for one app and left and right balance per app, which Sound Assistant's listing does not describe per app. Most Galaxy owners should try Sound Assistant first.
How do I set up AppVolume?
On the phone itself, turn on Developer options, connect to Wi-Fi, turn on Wireless debugging and type the six-digit pairing code AppVolume shows. No computer and no root are needed. You can turn Wireless debugging off again afterwards, and the permission stays through restarts and updates. Shizuku and root also work.
