In order to change the volume and control media playback with the Sony WH-1000XM5, you need to use its touch sensor control panel.
If you are having issues when trying to utlize the touch controls, then you can check out this troubleshooting article at Seeking Tech to see how you can potentially fix your problem.
1. The first step we recommend taking is to make sure you don’t have anything covering up touch sensor control panel. The sensor may not be able to detect touch if it is blocked by clothing, sticker or other types of adhesives.
2. We also recommend that you carefully clean the touch panel as it may be too dirty to function normally.
To find out how you can properly keep the sensor, as well as the rest of the wireless headphones, free of dirt and grimes, we recommend that you take a look at this article.
3. There is also a possibility that your hands are dirty. In this case, you can try washing your hands and then dry them before trying again.
4. If you are wearing a glove, then the sensor may not be able to pick up your touch.
5. If the Sony WH-1000XM5 appears to be wet or overheating, then we recommend that you first turn off the headset.
If it is wet, then you can check out this post to see how you can safely dry the device.
If it feels hot when touched, then you can take a look at this article to see how you can properly cool it down.
Once the WH-1000XM5 appears to be normal again, you can turn it back on and then test to see if the touch controls are working normally.
6. If the Bluetooth connection between the WH-1000XM5 and its connected device is poor, then the other device may not be able to pick up your touch inputs.
In order to get a better Bluetooth connection, try to move the wireless headphones closer to the connected device. You should also make sure that there aren’t any other wireless electronics nearby as it may interfere with the Bluetooth connection.
7. There is another possibility that the connected device or app you are using may not support some or all of the touch control commands.
So, if you can’t get the touch panel to work correctly, then you can try using another app or connecting the WH-1000XM5 to another device.
8. A firmware update may be able to fix issues related to the touch sensor.
If you are having a hard time trying to update your Sony WH-1000XM5 to the latest available firmware, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article.
9. Resetting or factory resetting the WH-1000XM5 may also help fix the touch panel problems. To find out how you can perform both actions, you can check out this guide.
10. You may also want to update the firmware, reset and/or factory reset the connected device to see if doing so fixes the touch panel issues.
If you are still experiencing problems, then we recommend that you contact Sony for additional help.