How do I turn off notification sounds for certain apps?

Understanding Notification Sounds

Notification sounds play an important role on our mobile devices. They alert us when we receive new messages, emails, app updates and more. Without notification sounds, we might miss important communications.

There are different types of notification sounds. Some apps play a default sound, while others allow you to customize sounds for incoming alerts. Popular messaging apps often let you set custom sounds for individual contacts. For example, you can set a special notification sound just for when your best friend messages you.

Custom notification sounds allow you to personalize your mobile experience. Selecting fun sounds for different apps and contacts makes your device feel more unique. Custom sounds also help you identify senders without having to visually check your phone. With distinctive sounds, you’ll recognize who messaged you simply by hearing the notification.

Overall, notification sounds keep us connected and informed. Customizing them allows self-expression and efficiency. With so much flexibility, it’s important to learn how to manage notification sound settings on your device.

Citation: Exploring apps users’ experiences with app notifications. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.academia.edu/48988859/Exploring_apps_users_experiences_with_app_notifications

Finding Notification Settings on Android

To access the notification settings on an Android device, the first step is to open the Settings app. This is typically found in the app drawer or on the home screen of your device. Once in the Settings app, you’ll need to navigate to the section related to sounds and notifications.

On many Android devices, including ones running newer versions of Android, you can find notification settings under “Sound & vibration” or “Sounds & vibration.” Tap into this menu to find options that allow you to control notification sounds.

Specifically, look for settings like “Default notification sound” or “Notification sound.” Tapping on these will allow you to select and customize the default sound used for notifications from apps on your device. You may also see advanced options for customizing notification sounds and vibrations for specific apps (more on this later).

If your Android device manufacturer has customized the interface, the notification sound settings may be under another name or in a slightly different location. For example, on Samsung Galaxy devices they are located under “Sounds and vibration” > “Notification sounds and vibrations.” But the general process remains the same on most modern Android versions.

Some helpful sources for learning more: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-change-create-android-notification-sounds-4783114

Finding Notification Settings on iPhone

To locate the notification sounds settings on an iPhone, you first need to open the Settings app. The Settings app is preinstalled on iOS devices and can be accessed from the home screen or by using the search function.

Once you have the Settings app open, there are a couple different places you can go to adjust notification sounds and settings:

• Tap on “Sounds & Haptics” – This section allows you to control ringer and alert volumes, change notification sounds and vibration settings, and more.
• Tap on “Notifications” – This section lets you manage notifications for specific apps. You can turn notifications on/off for each app and customize alert styles.

The most straightforward way to change notification sounds on iPhone is to go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. From there you can select a different default tone or assign custom sounds for notifications from specific apps.

For more granular control, go to Settings > Notifications and select each app to customize its alerts. Make sure notifications are turned on for apps you want to hear from.

Muting Notifications for Specific Apps on Android

You can mute notification sounds for individual apps on Android devices. This allows you to silence an app’s alerts while still receiving other notifications.

To mute notifications for a specific app on Android:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Tap Apps & notifications > Notifications.
3. Under “Recently sent” notifications, locate the app you want to mute and tap it.
4. Toggle off the “Allow sound” option for that app. This will mute all notification sounds from this app.

With the “Allow sound” toggle turned off, you will no longer hear notification sounds for that particular app. You can still receive banner notifications and notifications in the notification shade. The notifications will just be silent.

To turn notification sounds back on for the app, go back to the app’s notification settings and toggle “Allow sound” back on.

This provides granular control to mute only certain apps you find disruptive or annoying. You can mute the sounds while keeping notifications enabled so you don’t miss important alerts. See Google’s support page for additional details on customizing notifications for Android apps.

Muting Notifications for Specific Apps on iPhone

You can easily mute notifications for individual apps on your iPhone. This allows you to silence alerts from apps you don’t want to be disturbed by while still receiving notifications from other apps.

To mute notifications from a specific app on your iPhone:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications.
2. Scroll down and select the app you want to mute.
3. Toggle off Sounds.

With sounds muted for that app, you will no longer hear notification sounds, but you will still see banners and badges for that app’s notifications. This is useful for silencing nuisance apps while keeping their alerts visible.

To toggle sounds back on for an app, simply return to that app’s settings in Notifications and turn Sounds back on.

You can also customize an app’s notifications further by selecting from available options like Allow Notifications, Show in History, Badge App Icon, and more. This gives you granular control over notification behavior for each app.

So when you want to quickly mute notification sounds from a distracting app, just open Settings, choose Notifications, and turn off Sounds for that app.

Customizing Notification Sounds for Apps

You can set a unique notification sound for individual apps on both Android and iPhone devices. This allows you to identify which app is sending you an alert without having to look at your phone.

On Android devices running Android 8.0 or newer, open the Settings app and go to Apps & Notifications > Notifications. Here you will see a list of apps installed on your device. Tap the app you want to customize, then tap Sound and select a preloaded ringtone or tap Add ringtone to use any audio file stored on your device as the notification sound (source).

On iPhones, open the Settings app and select Sounds & Haptics. Under Sounds, tap Ringtone. You will see a list of apps with the default sound set under each one. Tap an app and select a different ringtone or tap Add New Ringtone to use a custom audio file from your music library (source).

Using custom notification sounds for important apps like messaging, email, or calendar can help you identify critical alerts at a glance. Just make sure to choose sounds that are pleasant and not too jarring!

Managing Notification Settings by Time/Location

You can mute notifications during certain times of day or based on your location on both Android and iPhone devices. This allows you to avoid distractions from apps at times when you want to focus or don’t want to be disturbed.

On Android, open the Settings app and go to Notifications > Do Not Disturb. Here you can set schedules to automatically mute notifications during set times, like at night or on the weekends. You can also add rules to mute notifications based on events in your calendar.

On iPhone, open the Settings app and go to Focus. You can create custom Focus modes with scheduled downtimes as well as location-based triggers. For example, you can set your phone to enter Do Not Disturb mode when you are at the gym or at work. This will mute notifications from the apps you select.

Setting location and time-based muting rules can help you avoid distractions when you need to concentrate. You can customize these to match your schedule and places where you don’t want interruptions from your phone.

Troubleshooting Notification Sound Issues

If you are having issues with notification sounds not working properly on your Android or iPhone device, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take:

First, check your device’s OS settings to make sure sounds and notification volumes are turned on and set at audible levels. On Android, go to Settings > Sound and notification to verify your notification and media volumes are set above 0%. For iPhones, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics to check that sounds and system haptics are toggled on.

Next, open the settings for the specific app that is having notification sound issues. Look for the notifications section in the app’s settings and make sure the sounds option is enabled and the correct notification sound is selected. For example, in WhatsApp go to Settings > Notifications > Sound to check the notification tone is set to your desired sound.[1]

If an app’s notifications are not working at all, try uninstalling and reinstalling the latest version of the app. This can clear up any bugs preventing notifications from coming through properly. You can also check if the app has notification permissions enabled in your device’s system settings.

As a last resort, restart your Android or iPhone to clear any glitches with the OS sound settings. This reboot can often resolve notification sound issues persisting after trying other troubleshooting steps.

Notification Sound Etiquette

When using notification sounds in public or at work, it’s important to be mindful of those around you. As Amir Rachum notes in his article on Notification Etiquette, sounds and notifications can create disruptions and distractions for others. In public places like trains or restaurants, notification sounds can be intrusive and annoying to those nearby trying to read, work, or converse. Turning off sounds or lowering volume is considerate in these shared spaces.

In the workplace, notification sounds may break others’ concentration or disrupt meetings. As discussed on Reddit, it’s standard etiquette for colleagues to mute notifications or use headsets to avoid disrupting coworkers (source). Frequent dings and sounds from one employee’s device can be frustrating over time. Being mindful of keeping disruptions minimal during work hours shows respect for those sharing a workspace.

With mobile devices so ubiquitous now, it’s important that we’re considerate mobile citizens. Being aware of your surroundings and muting sounds when appropriate is simply polite device etiquette.

Key Takeaways

Customizing notification sounds for your apps can help you easily identify alerts, increase productivity, and reduce notification fatigue. Here are some key steps to managing notification sounds on Android and iOS:

• Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics on iOS or Settings > Sound on Android to find notification settings.
• You can mute notifications for specific apps in the app’s notification settings.
• Custom sounds can be chosen for notifications from individual apps.
• Manage notifications by time of day or location using Do Not Disturb on iOS or Android.

Using custom notification sounds for different apps allows you to quickly identify important alerts without having to look at your phone. Unique sounds can help limit distractions from less critical apps. Overall, customizing notification sounds improves the mobile experience and reduces notification fatigue.