No Sound on iPhone? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• Silent mode turned on with the Ring/Silent switch or Action button
• A Focus that silences calls and notifications
• Audio playing on a Bluetooth accessory instead of your iPhone
• A blocked or dirty speaker opening
• Network or reception problems during calls
• A speaker that needs service

Step-by-Step Solutions

Work through these steps in order, starting with the quick settings checks, and test the sound after each one.

1. 1

   Step 1: Turn off Silent mode

   When Silent mode is on, iPhone doesn’t ring or play alerts or other sound effects, but it may still vibrate.

   If your iPhone has a Ring/Silent switch, flip it toward the front of your iPhone, toward the display, so that orange isn’t showing.

   If your iPhone has an Action button, press and hold it to turn Silent mode on or off. You can also swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center and make sure that Silent mode is off.

   If your Action button isn’t set to Silent mode, open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then turn Silent mode off.

   Good to know

   By default, the Action button turns Silent mode on or off, and you can change what it does. Clock alarms, audio apps such as Music and many games still play through the built-in speaker when Silent mode is on.

2. 2

   Step 2: Turn off Do Not Disturb

   Apple’s speaker troubleshooting includes making sure that Do Not Disturb is off.

   Open Settings, tap Focus, tap Do Not Disturb, and make sure that Do Not Disturb is off.

   A Focus can also silence calls and notifications on a schedule or during a specific activity.

3. 3

   Step 3: Turn up the volume

   The volume buttons control different sounds depending on whether audio is playing.

   While audio is playing, the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone control media volume. When no audio is playing, they control ringer and alert volume. You can also adjust the volume in Control Center.

   To set the ringer volume in Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then drag the volume slider below Ringtone.

   By default, alarms, timers, alerts and system sounds match your ringtone volume. If Match Ringtone Volume is turned off under Alarms and Timers or Alerts and System Sounds, those sounds have their own slider.

   Good to know

   When Change with Buttons is off in Sounds & Haptics, the volume buttons only control media playback. Apple’s volume guide includes a warning about avoiding hearing loss.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check where audio is playing

   Sound may be going to a Bluetooth accessory instead of your iPhone.

   While audio is playing, you can change the playback destination on the Lock Screen or in Control Center.

   The playback destination also returns to your iPhone if you move the Bluetooth accessory out of range.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check the speaker Volume Limit

   A volume limit caps how loud sound plays through the built-in speaker.

   Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, then under Built-In Speaker, tap Volume Limit. If Limit Maximum Volume is on, drag the slider to adjust the limit.

   Good to know

   If a family member set up Screen Time for your iPhone, they can prevent changes to the Speaker Volume Limit level. Apple’s volume guide also includes a warning about avoiding hearing loss.

6. 6

   Step 6: Remove the case and check the speaker

   Remove anything covering your iPhone and check that the speaker opening isn’t blocked or dirty.

   Remove all screen protectors, films or cases from your iPhone.

   Check the speaker opening to see if it’s blocked or dirty, and make sure that the receiver isn’t blocked or dirty. If necessary, clean the speaker or receiver opening with a small, soft-bristled brush. Make sure that the brush is clean and dry.

7. 7

   Step 7: Test the speaker

   The Ringtone and Alerts slider in Settings is a quick way to check the speaker.

   Open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, and drag the Ringtone and Alerts slider back and forth a few times.

   If you don’t hear any sound, or if the speaker button on the Ringtone and Alerts slider is dimmed, your speaker might need service.

8. 8

   Step 8: If you can’t hear calls

   Test with speakerphone, then check your network.

   If you hear sound in the speaker test, make a call and turn on speakerphone.

   If you still can’t hear, or you hear static or crackling, your network or reception could be the issue. Try to call again later, or from a different location.

Frequently Asked Questions