Help weird volume issue plus apps freezing

[gale65]

1. I can't seem to adjust my volume unless I'm in an app. Is that normal? It was not with my old phone and I'm pretty sure I was able to do it with this phone before today. I'd like to be able to just turn the volume down before going into a place where I don't want my phone to make noise without opening an app first.

2. apps freezing. Today the next browser froze and I had to turn the phone off and on to make it unfreeze. Also farm heroes froze and i had to force stop it to make it unfreeze (luckily I was losing anyway).

my phone is rooted but has the stock rom.

eta: by "turn off the phone" I just meant push the button on the side off and then on. I didn't have to reboot or anything. Still annoying.

 

[Twiz]

I haven't found where to set the volume either unless an app is using it. Very awkward!

 

[Twiz]

Just found it! Go to Settings>Sound> then hit Volumes. I thought that was just a heading... didn't know to click it.

 

[gale65]

I have it adjusted in settings but sometimes I need to just quickly adjust and want to do it by using the volume buttons on the side. I use different volumes in different game apps too (loud for songpop, not so loud for scramble, farm heroes, etc) and once in a while I can't adjust in the app (same thing with my old phone but with it I could go to my home screen, adjust, and reopen the app).