How do I get my phone to make a sound when a text comes in?
Check your phone’s notification settings
The first step is to look for notification settings on your phone. This is often found in the Settings app under a menu called Sounds, Notifications, Ringtone & Sounds or something similar. The exact location varies by phone model and Android version.
Go into these notification settings and look for options related to your text message notifications. There may be a section specifically for text messages, SMS or messaging apps that allows you to select a sound. For example, on a Samsung Galaxy you would go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Text message notifications and select a sound.
Android also allows setting different notification sounds for different apps. So your text messaging app may have its own sound setting separate from email or social media apps. Look for an option like “App notifications” or “Configure app notifications” to customize sounds for individual apps.
If you can’t find a setting for text notification sounds, your phone may only allow changing the default notification sound for all apps. This global sound can be changed in the main notification settings section.
For more details, see this guide: How to Change Android Notification Sounds.
Set a custom text tone
One way to make your phone play a sound for incoming texts is by setting a custom text tone for specific contacts. This allows you to assign unique notification sounds for texts from certain people.
To set a custom text tone on an iPhone, open the Contacts app and select the contact you want to assign a custom tone for. Tap Edit in the upper right corner, then scroll down and tap Text Tone. This will open your ringtones and alert tones library. Browse the options and select a sound you want to be notified with when receiving a text from that contact.
On Android devices, the process is similar. Open your Contacts app, select a contact, and tap Edit contact. Scroll down and tap Text tone or Ringtone depending on if you want a sound for texts or calls. Pick a tone from the menu. Just make sure Notification access is enabled for the Contacts app in your Android settings.
Setting custom text tones for individual contacts is an easy way to identify who is texting you without having to look at your phone. It allows you to assign fun or silly sounds for friends, or more professional tones for work contacts.
Adjust notification volume
You can adjust the volume level for notifications on your phone through the Settings app. Here are the steps:
1. Open the Settings app on your phone. On an iPhone, you can find this by going to the home screen and tapping the Settings icon.
2. In Settings, find the Notifications or Sounds section. On an iPhone, you can tap “Sounds & Haptics” to find the volume controls.
3. Look for the “Ringtone & Alerts” or similar option for notification sounds. Tap into this section.
4. You should now see a volume slider that controls your notification volume level. Drag the slider left or right to lower or raise the volume.
5. Optionally, you can toggle the “Change with Buttons” switch to control notification volume with your phone’s physical volume buttons.
Adjusting this slider allows you to set the volume for incoming notifications like text messages. Setting it higher makes sure you can hear each text come in. You can also return the volume to max if it was lowered at some point.
If your phone uses the Android operating system, the steps are very similar – just open Settings and look for a Sounds/Notifications section to find notification volume controls.
Use a third party app
One option is to use a third party app to set custom notification sounds. Apps like Zedge let you download unique ringtones and notification sounds.
Once you’ve downloaded the Zedge app, you can browse their library of notification tones and select ones you like. Zedge allows you to preview sounds before downloading them.
After downloading new notification sounds, open your phone’s Settings app and go to Sounds & Vibration > Text Tone. Here you’ll find the new sounds you’ve downloaded from Zedge and you can set any of them as your default text notification sound.
Zedge also allows you to assign custom text tones to specific contacts. Open your Contacts app and select the contact you want to set a custom text tone for. Tap Edit in the upper right corner, then tap Text Tone. You’ll see an option to select from your downloaded Zedge tones. This way incoming texts from that contact will have their own unique sound.
Using third party apps like Zedge provides way more options when it comes to customizing your phone’s notification sounds.
Turn on vibration
One way to make sure your phone alerts you when a text comes in is to enable vibration for notifications. Here’s how to turn on vibration on Android and iPhone devices:
On Android, open the Settings app and go to Sounds or Notifications. Look for an option to toggle vibration on. For example, on Samsung Galaxy devices go to Sounds and vibration > Vibrations and tap the switch next to Vibrate while ringing to turn it on [1]. You may also see options to enable vibration for calls, notifications, and touch feedback.
On iPhone, open the Settings app and go to Sounds & Haptics. Toggle the ‘Vibrate’ switch on. You can also adjust vibration patterns and intensity. Enable ‘Vibrate on Ring’ and ‘Vibrate on Silent’ for vibration alerts when your phone is ringing or set to silent mode [2].
Enabling vibration ensures your phone physically vibrates when a notification comes in, so you won’t miss texts even if your phone is set to mute or Do Not Disturb.
Disable ‘Do Not Disturb’
The ‘Do Not Disturb’ (DND) mode mutes all sounds and notifications on your phone when activated. This can prevent you from hearing your text message notification sounds.
To ensure DND mode is not preventing your text tones, check that it is not scheduled or manually activated on your phone. You can find the DND settings in your Settings app under “Do Not Disturb”. Make sure the switch is turned off and no schedules are enabled.
According to a 2018 study by EverQuote, nearly one in three iPhone users utilize the DND while driving feature1. If you have enabled this setting, it will mute notifications whenever your phone detects you are driving. Try disabling it to see if your text tones return.
Check notification access
Some apps need access to your phone’s notification system in order to display custom sounds and alerts when a notification comes in. If you have disabled notification access for certain apps, they may not be able to override your default notification settings.
To check if an app has notification access on an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and scroll down to find the app. Make sure it says “Notifications Allowed” underneath the app name. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Notification access and make sure the app is enabled.
If notification access is disabled for the app you want to use custom sounds with, you’ll need to enable it in your settings for the custom alerts to work properly. Granting notification access allows apps to integrate with your phone’s notification system at a deeper level to change alert sounds and override “Do Not Disturb.” Just be selective in enabling notification access and only grant it to apps you trust.
According to research from this article, notification sounds play an important role in our productivity and emotions. Enabling customized alerts can help make notifications more pleasant and useful. But apps need notification access first in order to override the default settings.
Update your operating system
New operating system versions can often fix bugs and issues with notifications. Check to see if any software updates are available for your phone and make sure to install them.
According to StatCounter, the two most popular mobile operating systems are Android and iOS, which frequently release new versions that improve performance and fix issues. Updating to the latest OS version may resolve any problems you’re experiencing with text notifications.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if any new iOS versions are available to download and install. For Android phones, open Settings > System > Advanced > System Update. If an update is available, follow the on-screen prompts to download and install it.
Once your phone has updated to the newest OS version, check to see if your text notifications are now working properly. The update may have addressed underlying bugs that were preventing sounds and vibrations from going off for incoming texts.
Try a different texting app
The default messaging app that comes with your phone may have issues properly delivering notifications for incoming texts. This could prevent you from getting alerted to new messages.
Trying a popular third-party texting app is an easy fix. Some top options include WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, and Snapchat. These messaging platforms often have more reliable notifications across various devices and operating systems.
Third-party messaging apps may also have more options for customizing your notification sounds and vibrations. For example, WhatsApp lets you set different tones for individual contacts. Telegram has options for special notification sounds when receiving messages in specific group chats.
If your default texting app is acting up, downloading a highly-rated alternative from the app store can get your notifications working properly again. Popular chat apps tend to have very refined and dependable notification systems built in.
Contact your cell provider
Network issues can sometimes prevent notifications from coming through properly on your device. There may be an outage or service disruption in your area that is interfering with your phone’s ability to receive alerts and notifications.
Contacting your cell provider’s customer support can be a good way to troubleshoot notification issues. According to Pew Research, many smartphone users reach out to tech support for help with notifications. The provider representatives may be able to check the status of the network, reset your phone’s connection, or provide other fixes to get notifications working again.
Be prepared to provide details like your location, phone model, notification settings, and the timing of the issue. This information can help them diagnose the problem. If it seems to be an isolated issue affecting only your device, they may have you adjust your notification settings, update software, try safe mode, or tackle other troubleshooting steps.
Contacting cell provider support is a proactive step to resolving notification problems stemming from the network or your account. Their technical knowledge and access can get your important alerts and messages coming through reliably again.