Why does my tablet make a noise?

It’s common for tablets to occasionally make noises during normal operation or when certain events occur. These noises can range from quiet humming to loud beeps or alarms. While some noises are harmless, others may indicate an underlying issue.

The goal of this article is to explain the various types of noises your tablet may make and what’s causing them. We’ll cover noises coming from the operating system, hardware components, interference, faulty parts, environmental factors, software glitches, and those generated by the user. Understanding what’s behind these sounds can help you determine if action needs to be taken or if you can simply ignore the noises.

Operating System Sounds

One source of noises from tablets and other devices is operating system sounds. Many devices were designed to play brief startup chimes or alert sounds to notify users of events. For example, older Windows devices often played a distinctive chime sound at startup while Mac devices have signature startup and alert tones.

Modern mobile and touchscreen devices like tablets also use audible feedback to confirm touch interactions. For example, iOS and Android tablets play a brief tone when pressing onscreen buttons or selecting menu options. These types of system sounds are intentionally designed into the user experience.

Hardware Noises

Tablets can make a variety of hardware-related noises during normal operation or when components start to fail. One common noise comes from the internal cooling fan. Fans generate a whirring or buzzing sound to remove heat from internal components and prevent overheating (Source). If the fan gets clogged with dust or starts to wear out, the noise may become louder or more noticeable.

The speakers can also cause popping or crackling noises, especially if media is being played at high volumes (Source). This could indicate speaker damage, a connector issue, or a faulty audio controller board inside the tablet. Similarly, the hard drive may click or grind if files get corrupted or the drive starts to fail. Frequent clicking noises should raise a red flag about hard drive health and potential data loss.

Interference Noises

One common cause of buzzing or humming noises from a tablet is interference from other electronic devices or radio signals. This type of interference is known as radio frequency interference (RFI) (Source).

Some major sources of RFI that can cause tablet noise include:

Nearby wireless routers, Bluetooth devices, cordless phones

Microwave ovens
Fluorescent light fixtures
Baby monitors, surveillance cameras

Power lines, electric motors

These devices can emit electromagnetic radiation that can interfere with the tablet’s internal components and audio hardware. This manifests as buzzing, humming, clicking, or static noises coming from the tablet speakers or headphones (Source). The closer the interference source is to the tablet device, the more pronounced the noise tends to be.

Interference noise is generally worse on lower frequency bands like AM radio. Tablets use WiFi and Bluetooth which operate at higher frequencies like 2.4GHz and 5GHz, making them somewhat less prone to interference. Still, enough electromagnetic radiation in the vicinity can disrupt signals and produce audible noise.

Faulty Component Noises

Tablets can produce odd sounds when certain internal components become damaged or defective. This includes components like speakers, power buttons, headphone jacks, and more.

Cracked or blown speakers may produce buzzing, popping, or distorted audio. This tends to happen over time as speakers weaken through prolonged use. Replacing faulty speakers is often necessary to restore normal audio.

Faulty power buttons can cause clicking or scraping sounds when pressed. Debris build-up around the button over time is a common culprit. Carefully cleaning around the power button or replacing it can address this nuisance noise.

Loose headphone jack connections are another potential source of odd sounds from tablets. As the tablet is moved around, an improperly seated headphone jack may generate static, humming, or intermittent audio cutouts from the connected headphones. Reseating the jack or replacing it often resolves this.

In some cases, odd sounds may also indicate problems with internal components like cooling fans, hard drives, or motherboards. These types of issues tend to produce noises like whirring, grinding, or high-pitched squealing. Expert repair is often needed for diagnosis and replacement of severely damaged internal parts.

Unusual sounds from faulty buttons, jacks, speakers, or internal components typically signify permanent hardware damage. While cleaning or repairs may resolve some issues, replacement of damaged parts is often necessary in these situations.

Other handy resources include:
https://ifixscreens.com/7-common-tablet-problems-and-working-solutions/
https://www.simplyfixable.com/blog-detail/comprehensive-guide-to-tablet-issues-and-solutions

Environmental Noises

Tablets can sometimes make noises from environmental factors like drops, spills, temperature changes, and other impacts. For example, if a tablet is dropped on a hard surface, it may make a loud noise from the impact. Liquid spills can also cause popping or crackling noises if the liquid seeps inside the tablet casing. Rapid temperature changes, like moving a tablet from an air conditioned room to high heat outside, can also cause the components to expand and contract which may create noises.

These types of environmental noises are often indications of physical damage to the tablet. Dropping a tablet can break internal parts and connections. Liquid damage can short circuit electronic components. Extreme hot or cold can also damage fragile parts inside a tablet. So if these abnormal noises occur, especially accompanied by physical impacts, users should be concerned about potential damage to the device. The tablet should be examined and repaired by a qualified technician if environmental noises are heard.

In the sources provided, one article discusses how everyday environmental noise from things like traffic and construction can negatively impact human health over time. But those sources do not directly cover noises from impacts to tablets and electronics.

Software Glitch Noises

Sometimes, odd noises from tablets can be caused by software issues like app crashes, bugs, and glitches. For example, when an app crashes you may hear a sudden distorted sound or tone before the app closes. This is because the crash interrupts the normal audio output from the tablet’s speakers.

Other software bugs can also freeze up the audio processing of a tablet, leading to stuttering, clipping, or looping of audio that is playing at the time. This is often accompanied by a temporary system slowdown as well.

Tablet operating systems like Android and iOS are complex, with millions of lines of code. Bugs are inevitable in software this complex, which can manifest as odd sounds. Usually a reboot or app reinstall will resolve isolated software glitches causing unusual noises.

Source: Quora

User-Generated Noises

One common source of noises from tablets are sounds generated by the user themselves. This includes noises like tapping and clicking on the screen, setting device alarms and notifications, as well as playing media like music or videos with the volume turned on.

Tapping or clicking on apps, buttons, and keys on the tablet screen can sometimes activate sounds, depending on your device settings. For example, tapping the keyboard keys may play a ‘click’ sound effect. You can adjust or turn these off in your tablet’s sound settings if desired.

Many tablets have options to set alarms, reminders, calendar events, and other notifications which can then emit sounds and alerts at the designated time. Users can customize the default notification sounds or add their own audio files. Sudden notification noises may occur if you have pending alerts or snoozed notifications waiting to go off. Check your notification settings to disable any unwanted sounds.

Playing media like music, podcasts, videos and games on your tablet will also direct audio through the speakers, sometimes at high volumes if you have the volume turned up. Make sure to lower or mute the volume if you do not wish to hear audio playback noises from the tablet. Using headphones can also avoid disturbing other people with sound from your device.

If random noises are occurring without obvious sources like the ones mentioned, you may need to investigate for other potential issues covered in the following sections.

When to Be Concerned

While most tablet noises are harmless, there are some warning signs that may indicate a more serious issue:

Grinding, whining, or ticking noises could point to a hardware problem like the fan or hard drive failing (1). These types of noises usually mean a component needs replacing.
Popping or cracking noises, especially if accompanied by display issues like flickering or discoloration, may be a sign of a failing display or loose cable connection (3).

Any noise paired with overheating is cause for concern, as it likely indicates an internal hardware issue.
Very loud fan noises that persist even when the tablet is idle could mean the fan is working overtime to compensate for another failing component.
Buzzing that coincides with charging could indicate a problem with the charging port.

Noises that happen every time you perform a certain action, like clicking a button, point to a specific mechanical issue.

Unusual noises outside of normal operating system sounds demand further inspection. Persistent troubling noises typically mean there is an underlying hardware problem that will likely worsen over time if left unaddressed.

Conclusion

In summary, there are many potential sources of noises from tablets, ranging from normal operating system sounds, hardware noises like fans or hard drives, interference from other devices, faulty components, and environmental factors. Software glitches and user-generated actions can also cause unexpected sounds.

Most minor noises are harmless, but persistent, loud, or strange sounds may indicate an underlying issue. Try restarting the tablet or updating software to resolve software-related noises. For hardware noises, check for obstructions blocking fans or dust buildup, and listen for any scratching or grinding. Take the tablet to a repair shop if the issue persists or worsens. To minimize concerning noises, keep the tablet away from magnets and radio interference, avoid overheating, and handle the device gently.