No Sound on Android Phone? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• Do Not Disturb or another mode silencing your phone
• Sound playing through a connected Bluetooth or wired accessory
• App notifications set to Silent
• Notification cooldown after a burst of notifications

Step-by-Step Solutions

Start with the first step and work down the list, testing the sound after each change.

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the volume and ring mode

   Low volume levels or Vibrate or Mute mode can make your phone silent.

   Press a volume button. At the right, tap the Menu, then slide the volume levels to where you want them. Media volume covers music, videos, games and other media, and Call volume is the volume of the other person during a call. You can also set Ring Volume, Notification volume and Alarm volume.

   When you press a volume button, the volume that changes depends on what you’re doing. If you’re not listening to anything, your media volume changes.

   To check the ring mode, press a volume button, then at the right, above the slider, tap Ring. To turn the ring or sound back on, turn off Vibrate or turn on Ring.

   Good to know

   Some of these steps work only on Android 12 and up.

2. 2

   Step 2: Turn off Do Not Disturb and other modes

   Modes including Do Not Disturb silence your phone.

   To turn Do Not Disturb on or off, swipe down from the top of your screen, then tap Do Not Disturb.

   Other modes, like Bedtime mode or Driving mode, can also be turned on or off from Quick Settings. Bedtime mode can turn on automatically on a schedule, and Driving mode can turn on automatically while driving.

   To let some sounds through while a mode is on, open Settings, tap Modes and select a mode. Under “Notification filters,” choose what to block or allow. Under Alarms & other interruptions, you can block or allow alarms, media, touch sounds, reminders or calendar events.

   Good to know

   To let a call through if the same person calls twice in 15 minutes, turn on Allow repeat callers. Some of these steps only work on Android 14 and up, and settings can vary by phone.

3. 3

   Step 3: Check where the sound is playing

   When an audio accessory is connected, sound plays through it instead of your phone’s speakers.

   Google’s Pixel help explains that by default, your phone plays sound through its built-in speakers. If you pair Bluetooth headphones or speakers, or plug headphones or speakers into your phone, sound plays through the accessory.

   If your phone is paired to more than one Bluetooth device, you can change where you hear music, videos and games. Press a volume button, tap the Menu, and under “Media volume,” tap Play media to.

   On a Pixel, you can also swipe down from the top of your screen to find what’s playing. At the top right of the media panel, tap the name of your audio accessory to change where the sound plays.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check your Bluetooth connection

   If you can’t hear music or calls through a Bluetooth car or accessory, check its connection and audio settings.

   Turn Bluetooth off and then on again, and confirm that your devices are paired and connected.

   Check that the volume is up on your phone and on your car or accessory, and that other devices paired with your phone aren’t playing the music.

   Check that Media audio is turned on. Open your phone’s Settings app and tap Connected devices. If you see “Bluetooth,” tap it. If you see Saved devices, tap it. Next to your car or accessory’s name, tap Settings, then turn on Media audio. For calls, check that other paired devices aren’t getting your calls, and turn on Phone audio in the same place.

   Good to know

   Not all cars can play music by Bluetooth. If the problem is with a car, check the car’s manual.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check notification sound settings

   If you miss sounds from notifications, the app may be set to Silent or have its notifications turned off.

   On some Android devices, you can choose whether an app’s notifications are Alerting or Silent. With Alerting, you’ll hear a sound. With Silent, your phone won’t make a sound or vibrate, but the notification still shows when you swipe down from the top of your screen.

   To change it on a notification, swipe down from the top of your screen, drag the notification slightly right or left, then tap Settings. Tap Alerting, then Apply.

   To check that an app’s notifications are on, open Settings, tap Notifications, then App notifications. Tap the app and turn its notifications on. Some apps also have their own setting for the sound their notifications make.

   To change the sound for all notifications, open Settings, tap Sound & vibration, then Default notification sound. Choose a sound and tap Save.

6. 6

   Step 6: Check Notification cooldown

   Notification cooldown lowers sounds when many notifications arrive close together.

   When Notification cooldown is on, your device minimizes sound interruptions and pop-ups on the screen when you get too many notifications within a short time span. Calls, alarms, priority conversations and emergency alerts are exceptions.

   To turn it on or off, open Settings and tap Notifications. Under “General,” tap Notification cooldown, then turn Use Notification cooldown on or off.

7. 7

   Step 7: Fix quiet sound during calls

   Call volume and the speaker your phone uses affect how well you hear the other person.

   To raise the other person’s voice, press a volume button, tap the Menu and slide Call volume up.

   On a Pixel, the top speaker is on when you hold your phone to your ear, and the bottom speaker is off. Because the top speaker is smaller, it sounds quieter. The bottom speaker is louder, but on a call it only makes noise if you turn on the speakerphone button.

   If call sound is unclear on a Pixel, turn your speakerphone on, then off.

8. 8

   Step 8: Restart your phone and test the sound

   On a Pixel, Google suggests restarting and then playing a few different sounds to check them.

   Restart your phone. On Pixel 6 and later, including Fold, press and hold the Power and Volume up buttons for a few seconds, then tap Restart.

   On a Pixel, play 2 or 3 different songs or videos from different apps, like a recorded video on your phone and a song from a music app. If only some sounds are distorted, those sound files could be broken. If all sounds are distorted, contact Pixel support.

   Good to know

   On a Pixel, some music sounds distorted when played loudly, so try turning the volume down too.

9. 9

   Step 9: Check your speakers, port and headphones

   On a Pixel, Google suggests a few simple hardware checks.

   If you have a screen protector or case, remove it. Check your speakers, and if they’re dirty, gently clean them with a soft, lint-free cloth. Check your phone’s USB-C port, and if it’s dirty, gently clean it with a soft, lint-free cloth.

   If you use wired headphones, unplug or disconnect them, then plug them back in. If you still can’t hear sound, listen without headphones or try a different pair. If you use USB-C accessories, including adapters, check that they work with digital audio.

   Good to know

   If your Pixel shows a “Liquid or debris in USB port” message, follow Google’s steps for that message.

Frequently Asked Questions