Why your iPhone notifications are silent even though you turned the volume up
Your iPhone has a physical switch on the left side called the Ring/Silent toggle. When this switch is pushed toward the back of the phone, it silences all notification sounds — even if your volume buttons are turned all the way up. This is separate from your actual volume setting, and it overrides everything else. If you've been wondering why you're not hearing alerts, this switch is almost always the reason.
The switch looks like a small lever with a dot on it. You'll find it on the left edge of your iPhone, just above the volume buttons. When the orange dot is visible, your phone is in Silent mode. When you can't see the orange dot, your phone is in Ring mode and notifications will make sound.
This guide walks you through turning off Silent mode so your notifications sound again, and shows you how to manage which notifications actually make noise if you want some apps to stay quiet.
Key Takeaways
- The Ring/Silent toggle on the left side of your iPhone controls whether notifications make sound, regardless of your volume setting.
- Push the toggle toward the front of the phone to turn off Silent mode and hear notification sounds again.
- You can customize which apps send sounds and which stay silent by going to Settings > Notifications and adjusting each app individually.
- Do Not Disturb is a separate feature that silences notifications on a schedule or until you turn it off, and it works even when Silent mode is off.
How to turn off Silent mode using the physical switch
Locate the Ring/Silent toggle on the left edge of your iPhone, just above the volume buttons. It's a small switch that moves up and down. Push it toward the front of your phone (away from the back). You should see the orange dot disappear, which means Silent mode is now off.
Once the toggle is in the Ring position, your iPhone will make sound for incoming calls, messages, and app notifications. You'll hear the default notification sound for each app unless you've customized the sound in Settings. If you still don't hear anything after flipping the switch, move to the next section to check your volume level and notification settings.
Check your volume level and make sure it's not muted
Even with Silent mode off, your notification volume needs to be high enough to hear. Press one of the volume buttons on the left side of your iPhone (either up or down) and a volume slider will appear on your screen. Make sure the slider is moved toward the right side, which means the volume is turned up. The slider should be at least halfway across, though you may want it all the way to the right if you're in a noisy environment.
If the volume slider shows a speaker with a line through it, that means your notification volume is muted. Slide it to the right to unmute. After you adjust the volume, try sending yourself a test notification by opening an app like Messages or Mail and seeing if you hear a sound.
Turn off Do Not Disturb if it's blocking notifications
Do Not Disturb is a separate feature from Silent mode that silences notifications on a schedule or until you manually turn it off. You can tell Do Not Disturb is on if you see a crescent moon icon in the top left corner of your screen, next to the time. This feature will silence notifications even if Silent mode is off and your volume is turned up.
To turn off Do Not Disturb, swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open Control Center. Look for the crescent moon icon and tap it once. The icon should disappear, and your notifications will make sound again. If you want to keep Do Not Disturb on but allow certain people or apps to come through, you can customize this in Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
Customize which apps send notification sounds
If you want some apps to make sound and others to stay silent, you can control this in your notification settings. Open Settings and tap Notifications. You'll see a list of all your apps. Tap the app you want to change, then look for the option that says Sound. Make sure it's turned on (the toggle should be green). If it's gray, tap it to turn sound back on for that app.
You can also choose what sound plays for each app. In the same app notification settings, tap Sound and select from the list of available notification tones. Some apps let you choose between different sounds, while others have only one option. If you want an app to send notifications but make no sound at all, turn off the Sound toggle for that app while leaving notifications on.
What to do if notifications still aren't making sound
If you've checked Silent mode, volume, Do Not Disturb, and individual app settings and still hear nothing, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the power button (on the right side or top of your phone, depending on your model) until you see the power-off slider. Slide it to the right, wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn your phone back on. This fixes most notification sound problems that aren't caused by the settings above.
If restarting doesn't work, check whether the app itself has notification sounds turned off. Open the app, go to its settings (usually found by tapping a gear icon or your profile picture), and look for a Notifications or Sound option within that app. Some apps have their own notification settings separate from your iPhone's system settings. Turn sound on there as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Silent mode and Do Not Disturb?
Silent mode is controlled by the physical switch on the left side of your phone and turns off all notification sounds immediately. Do Not Disturb is a scheduled feature you turn on in Settings and can be set to silence notifications during certain times or until you manually turn it off. You can have Silent mode off but Do Not Disturb on, which will still silence notifications.
Why does my iPhone still vibrate when Silent mode is on?
Silent mode silences sounds but keeps vibration on by default. If you don't want vibration either, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics and turn off the toggle next to Vibrate on Ring or Vibrate on Silent, depending on which mode you're in.
Can I make the Silent mode switch do something different?
On iPhone 15 and newer models, you can customize what the Ring/Silent toggle does. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and tap Change with Buttons. You can set it to control Focus modes instead of Silent mode, though this changes how the switch works entirely.
How do I know if an app has its own notification sound settings?
Open the app and look for a settings menu, usually a gear icon or your profile picture. Scroll through the options and look for Notifications, Sound, or Alerts. Not all apps have their own notification settings — many rely only on your iPhone's system settings.
Will turning off Silent mode affect my alarm clock?
No. Alarms will ring regardless of whether Silent mode is on or off. The Ring/Silent toggle only affects notifications, calls, and sounds from apps — not alarms or timers.