Why is my phone not playing sound?
Check Your Phone’s Volume
The first step is to check if your phone’s volume is actually turned down or muted. Try using the physical volume buttons on the side or top of your phone to increase the volume and see if that makes sound start playing. As one Quora user explained in this post, sometimes the volume gets muted without you realizing it.
You can also go into your phone’s settings and check the different volume sliders for ringtone, media, notifications, etc. Make sure none of them have been muted or turned all the way down by accident. Slide them to increase the volume levels across your device.
As another troubleshooting step, try playing audio from a different app or source like music vs a video. If the issue only happens with one audio source, it may be isolated to that particular app. But if there is no sound across multiple sources, then the problem is likely with your phone’s system settings.
Check Connected Devices
If your phone is connected to Bluetooth headphones, wireless speakers, or other audio devices but there is no sound, the issue could lie with the connected devices. As a troubleshooting step, disconnect or unpair all external devices like headphones, speakers, etc. to determine if your phone’s own built-in speaker is still producing no sound.
Some connected Bluetooth devices have their own individual volume controls or mute functions. Ensure any connected devices like headphones, wireless earbuds, or speakers are not muted. Double check the volume levels on the connected devices and turn them up.
Check App Settings
One of the more common causes of no sound from certain apps is an app issue. Open the app that you’re having audio issues with and check the app’s audio settings. Many apps have options buried in their settings menus that can control volume or sound output. For example, some social media apps allow you disable audio autoplay by default.
If you don’t see any relevant audio options in the app’s settings, try fully restarting or force closing that app. This will clear any temporary glitches or stalled processes causing no audio output. As an example, in Android you can force close apps in the Settings > Apps menu, or by swiping the app away from the recent apps view. On an iPhone, double click the home button and swipe up on the app preview to force close it. In many cases, restarting an app with audio issues can restore sound.
According to this Samsung community thread, after a recent device update some users found toggling the Dolby Atmos settings back on resolved no audio from certain apps. So check for any built-in audio enhancers that may have been unintentionally disabled.
Check System Settings
First, confirm your phone is not in silent or vibrate mode, which could prevent any audio from playing. On an iPhone, if the Ring/Silent switch is set to silent, move it forward toward the phone’s display to disable silent mode (Apple Support). For Android phones, check the volume buttons and system settings to ensure silent or vibrate mode is not enabled.
Next, check to see if any accessibility services affecting audio output are enabled. These may include mono audio, audio balance adjustments, or screen readers. Temporarily disabling these services can help determine if they are interfering with sound playback. On iPhone, check Settings > Accessibility. On Android, check Settings > Accessibility or Advanced Features.
While in Settings, also confirm nothing is limiting overall volume levels on the phone. Check that media volume sliders and app volume limiters are set to maximum levels.
Check for Blocked Audio
Sometimes an app can block or restrict audio playback on your phone. This often happens with apps that play audio in the background. To check if any apps are blocking audio:
- Go to your phone’s Settings > Apps/Application Manager. Review the list of apps to see if any show they are currently playing audio.
- Try disabling background audio or notifications for suspect apps. This may resolve any audio restrictions being applied.
- You can also try an app like Fake Background Sounds to mute audio on a per-app basis.
Entering safe mode starts your phone with only the original software and apps. This can help diagnose if 3rd party apps are causing audio issues:
- On most Android phones, press and hold the Power button until the Power off prompt appears.
- Long press the Power off option. You should then see a Safe mode option.
- Tap Restart in Safe mode. Allow your phone some time to enter safe mode.
- Test audio playback. If sound works correctly, an installed app is likely blocking audio.
Exiting safe mode and uninstalling problematic apps may resolve your audio issues.
Update Software
Installing the latest operating system and app updates can often resolve audio issues caused by buggy drivers or software incompatibilities. As noted on Reddit, an Android 14 update recently caused audio problems for some Pixel 6 users. Updating to the newest OS version available may contain fixes for these kinds of audio bugs.
Go to Settings > System > System update to check for any pending OS updates. You can also open the Play Store app and go to My Apps & Games > Updates to install the latest versions of your downloaded apps. After updating, test if the audio issue persists. Rebooting your phone after an update often helps as well.
If the problem started immediately after an update, rolling back to the previous OS version through system recovery may resolve it. But updating is generally the safer approach to fix software-related audio issues.
Reset App Preferences
Sometimes individual app preferences may become corrupt over time and cause issues with audio playback. Resetting app preferences will delete any errors from apps on your device and restore them to the default settings.
To reset app preferences on Android devices, go to “Settings”, tap the “More” menu (the icon with 3 dots) in the upper right corner, and select “Reset App Preferences”. This will reset app preferences for all apps, so any customizations or logins will be removed.1
Resetting app preferences should be seen as a troubleshooting step to fix a specific issue like sound not working. It will delete personalized settings in all apps and may require signing into some apps again. However, in some cases resetting the app preferences is required for apps to begin functioning properly again.
Try Safe Mode
Safe mode loads only essential apps and services. When you boot your Android phone in safe mode, it temporarily disables all third-party apps. According to Tom’s Guide forums, trying safe mode allows you to test if sound and audio works with just the core OS and services running. If sound and media playback works fine in safe mode, the issue likely lies with a problematic third party app.
To boot in safe mode:
- Press and hold the power button
- Tap and hold “Power off”
- Tap “OK” to restart in safe mode
If sound works properly in safe mode, uninstall recently downloaded apps or apps that access audio/media and restart your phone normally. This should resolve any third party conflicts preventing sound from working correctly.
Back Up and Factory Reset
If other troubleshooting steps have failed to resolve the no audio issue, a factory reset may be necessary. This will wipe any corrupt software or configurations that could be causing problems. Before resetting, it’s important to back up any data, photos, files, and settings you want to keep.
To backup an Android phone, connect it to a computer and transfer files. Alternatively, use cloud storage like Google Drive to save photos, videos, contacts, and other data. Apps like Helium can also backup app data.
Once backed up, go to Settings > System > Reset options and select Factory data reset. This will erase all data and reset software on the device. Follow the prompts to confirm and complete the reset. After restarting, run through the setup process and restore apps and data from your backup.
A factory reset eliminates any corrupted files or configurations that could be preventing sound from working properly. If audio issues persist even after a reset, it likely indicates a hardware problem that requires device repair or replacement.
Hardware Issue
If none of the above troubleshooting steps resolve your phone’s audio issues, the problem may be due to a hardware fault with the device. Common hardware issues that can cause sound problems include:
- Faulty or damaged speakers
- Issues with the headphone jack
- Problems with the microphone
- Damage to audio components or connections on the phone’s internal hardware
Phones contain delicate electronic components and audio hardware that can fail over time, especially with frequent drops or damage. If basic software troubleshooting does not restore sound, it is a sign of a deeper hardware problem.
The only solution when hardware issues occur is to get the phone serviced and repaired by the device manufacturer. Most major brands like Apple and Samsung have repair centers to fix hardware faults that develop after prolonged use. Third-party phone repair shops can also diagnose and replace damaged audio components. Just be cautious of unauthorized repair shops that may use inferior replacement parts.
Getting a full hardware diagnostic and professional repair service is advised when troubleshooting points to an internal phone hardware malfunction. This will properly fix the underlying issue and restore sound back to normal.