Why is my Android not playing sound on videos?

Check Your Phone’s Volume Settings

One of the most common reasons for videos having no sound is that the volume has been turned down or muted on your Android phone. Make sure to check that the volume is turned up on both your phone’s main volume settings as well as in the video player app you are using. You can try using your phone’s volume buttons during a video to see if that unmutes and restores sound.

According to this Headphonesty article, issues with your phone’s software settings are a frequent cause of sound problems in videos and other media. Double checking that the volume is not muted or set too low can quickly resolve many instances of no video sound.

Check Your Headphones/Speakers

One of the most common reasons for no sound from videos on an Android phone is an issue with the headphones or external speakers. First, check that your headphones or external speakers are properly plugged into the headphone jack or connected via Bluetooth. Sometimes the plug may not be fully inserted or the Bluetooth connection was interrupted.

Try unplugging and reinserting the headphone plug or manually reconnecting the Bluetooth device. Also inspect the headphone plug and port for any debris or damage. Clean out any dust or lint with compressed air. If the headphone port appears damaged, this could prevent a proper connection.

If your headphones are wireless/Bluetooth, ensure they are charged and paired correctly. Go into your Bluetooth settings and make sure the headphones show as paired. If not, try removing the pairing and re-pairing the headphones.

Finally, attempt to isolate the issue by trying different headphones or external speakers. Plug in a different set of wired headphones or try connecting to a different Bluetooth speaker. If the new headphones or speaker work properly, then the issue is likely with the original headphones. However, if the new headphones also do not work, the problem may be with your Android device.

Check Video App Settings

Some video apps include settings to mute sound or disable media playback. Open your video app’s settings menu and verify that sound is enabled. Specifically, check that the sound/media volume slider is not set to mute or 0%. You may also need to enable permissions for the app to access your phone’s microphone and audio. Additionally, look for a setting like “Play with Sound” or “Sound Effects” and make sure it is toggled on. For example, the YouTube app includes a “Sound effects” option that needs to be enabled for videos to play audio. Checking your app’s settings is an easy fix to restore sound when watching videos.

According to an article on wondershare.com, one solution is to “Check if the sound settings of the video player app are muted.” The article recommends checking the app’s settings to ensure sound effects or media volume are enabled (source).

Check Your Phone’s Sound Settings

One of the first things to check is your phone’s sound and volume settings. Go to your Android’s Settings app and select “Sounds.” Make sure that all the volume sliders are turned up, particularly the “Media” slider. If any of the sliders are turned down, that could be preventing sounds from playing on videos.

Also check to make sure “Do Not Disturb” mode is turned off. When Do Not Disturb is on, it mutes all sounds except alarms and selected notifications. Having it enabled could stop videos from playing audio. Toggle off the “Do Not Disturb” switch in your Settings to ensure it is disabled.

With sound and volume sliders set to maximum and Do Not Disturb disabled, videos should be able to play audio normally again if sound settings were the cause of the issue.

Check for App Issues

Sometimes the issue with no video sound may be isolated to a particular video app. Try playing videos in a different app like YouTube to see if the audio works there. If the audio works fine in YouTube but not in your original video app, then the issue is likely with that particular app.

For apps that aren’t playing sound, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app to see if that resolves the issue. Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps and select the problematic video app. Tap Uninstall and confirm to remove the app and its data. Then go to the Play Store, search for the app, and reinstall it. This will give you a fresh install which may fix any corrupted files causing sound issues.

You can also try clearing the app’s cache and data before reinstalling. From Settings > Apps, select the app, tap Storage, then Clear Cache and Clear Data. This removes temporary files and resets the app. Then reinstall the app and check if videos play sound properly. Reach out to the developer if issues persist in one particular video app after reinstalling.

Restart Your Phone

Restarting your Android phone is one of the simplest troubleshooting steps to try when you experience issues with no sound on videos. Completely powering down and restarting your device essentially functions as a “reset” that ensures any glitches are cleared from the system.

To properly restart your Android phone:

1. Hold down the Power button for a few seconds until you get the option to Power off.
2. Tap Power off and wait for your phone to fully shut down.
3. Once the screen is totally black, press and hold the Power button again to boot your phone back up.

Allow the restart process to complete fully. This clears any minor software bugs that may be preventing sound from working correctly on videos and gives you a fresh start.

Often a simple restart is all that’s needed to fix video sound issues on Androids. Apps and system processes get a clean slate after a reboot, resolving many quirky glitches. Try playing a video again after the restart to see if sound now works properly.

If the problem persists, you may need to move on to other troubleshooting steps like updating your Android OS, clearing app caches/data, or factory resetting your device if nothing else works. But in many cases, a straightforward restart ends up being the solution.

Check for System Updates

One potential cause of losing sound in videos on an Android phone is an outdated system software version. Android releases periodic updates to fix bugs and improve performance, which can resolve audio issues. To check for and install available system updates:

Go to Settings > System > Advanced > System Update. This will open up your phone’s software update screen.

If an update is available, tap “Download and install” to download it directly to your phone. Make sure you’re connected to WiFi, as software updates can be large files.

Once the update is downloaded, tap “Install” and follow the prompts to complete the installation process. This may require your phone to restart.

After applying any available system updates, check your videos again to see if sound has been restored. Software updates frequently include fixes for audio issues that can cause problems with video playback.

According to a discussion thread on the Google Support forums, some Android users who lost video sound after updating to Android 12 were able [1] to resolve the problem after installing a subsequent update from Google.

[1] https://support.google.com/android/thread/132278961/no-sound-after-updating-to-android-12?hl=en

Clear App Cache and Data

If a particular app is having sound issues, clearing its cache and data can help fix sound problems. Here are the steps to clear cache and data for an app on Android:

First, open your phone’s Settings app and go to the Apps section. Here you will see a list of all apps installed on your device.

Next, locate the app that is having sound issues and tap on it. This will open the app’s info page.

Now, tap on the Storage option. Here you will see options to clear the app’s Cache and Data.

Tap on Clear Cache first to remove any temporary files stored by the app. Then tap Clear Data which will reset the app to its default settings.

Clearing the cache and data forces the app to reload its files and settings which can resolve audio issues if corrupted files were causing problems. This is a relatively quick troubleshooting step before trying more drastic fixes.

Just keep in mind that clearing data will reset any preferences or logged-in accounts in that app. But it often helps get sound working again in problematic apps.

Factory Reset Phone

If you’ve tried all the other troubleshooting steps and your Android is still not playing sound properly, you may need to factory reset the phone [1]. Before resetting, make sure to backup any important data such as photos, files, and app data you want to keep.

To factory reset your Android phone:

1. Go to Settings > Backup & Reset
2. Tap Factory Data Reset
3. Select Reset Phone and confirm

Resetting your phone will erase all data and restore it to factory default settings [2]. After the reset completes, test to see if sound and video playback is working properly again on your device.

Factory resetting your Android phone should resolve any software issues causing sound problems. If sound is still not working after the reset, you may need to contact your device manufacturer or service provider for hardware repair or replacement.

Contact Service Provider

If no other solutions work, you may need to contact your phone’s service provider for additional support.

There is a chance the issue may be caused by a hardware problem that is preventing sound from working properly on your phone. Hardware issues will often need repair or replacement of a phone’s components to resolve.

A representative from your service provider can help diagnose if your Android phone has an internal hardware problem that is causing the no sound on video issue. They can then advise you on the possible repairs or replacements needed, which may involve sending your phone in for service or getting a replacement device.

Before contacting your service provider, make sure to thoroughly attempt all other troubleshooting steps for no sound on your Android phone. Also try factory resetting your device, as that may resolve a software problem preventing sound from working. But if the issue persists, then specialized hardware troubleshooting and device repairs from your service provider may be required.

Some examples of hardware issues that can cause no sound problems on Android phones include:

• Faulty speakers
• Damaged headphone jack
• Issues with sound card/chip
• Problems with motherboard sound components

Reaching out to your Android device’s service provider is the last resort when no DIY fixes resolve your no sound on video problems. But hardware-level troubleshooting and repairs may be the only solution if software and settings changes do not get your phone’s sound working again.