Social network VKontakte remains one of the most popular instant messengers on mobile devices, providing instant communication with friends and colleagues. However, constant sound notifications about new messages can be a serious source of irritation, especially during work, school or leisure. Users are often faced with the need to configure the application so that it does not distract with unnecessary sounds, while maintaining visual notifications.
In the operating system Android notification management is implemented at several levels: within the application itself, through the smartphone system settings and using sound profiles. Understanding the hierarchy of these settings is critical to achieving the desired result. An incorrect configuration can lead to the sound either remaining on or all notifications being lost, including important calls.
In this guide, we will look in detail at all the available ways to disable the sound of incoming messages in the mobile client. VKontakte. We will consider both standard methods available in current versions of the software, as well as the nuances of working with notification channels in modern versions of Android, starting from 8.0 and higher.
Setting up notifications inside the mobile application
The most logical and direct way to manage notifications is to use the built-in settings of the mobile application applications VK. The developers have provided flexible tools that allow you to fine-tune the behavior of the app. First, you need to launch the application and go to the main menu by clicking on the icon with three bars or an avatar in the corner of the screen.
Next you should go to the section Settings, which is usually located at the bottom of the list or at the top, depending on the version of the interface. Inside this section, find the item Notifications. This is where the main switches responsible for the sound of various events on the social network are concentrated.
In the notification menu you will see a list of categories such as “Private messages”, “Calls”, “Comments” and others. We are interested in the section Private messages. By clicking on it, you will be taken to a detailed menu where you can select a specific sound or turn it off completely. If your goal is complete silence, you need to find the “Sound” switch and move it to the inactive position.
⚠️ Attention: In some application updates, sound settings may be moved to a separate submenu “Sound and vibration”. If you don't see the switch right away, carefully examine all the available tabs in the notifications section.
It's worth noting that muting the sound within an application does not always guarantee complete silence if the phone's system settings have a higher priority. However, this is the first and required step in the configuration process. After changing the settings, do not forget to save them, although in modern versions VK the settings are applied instantly.
If you want to leave the vibration but remove the sound, make sure that the Vibration switch remains active after turning off the sound signal.
Managing notification channels in Android settings
Starting with version Android 8.0 Oreo, the system has introduced the concept of “notification channels”. This means that control over sounds is now partially transferred to the operating system, which can override the settings of individual applications. To ensure that the sound is turned off, you need to check the system permissions for the application VKontakte.
Go to the general Settings of your smartphone, then select the section Applications or All applications. In the list that opens, find VK and click on it. Next, go to item Notifications. Here you will see a list of all the types of notifications that the application can send.
The key point is to simply turn off the "Allow notifications" slider This is not possible if you want to continue to see icons for new messages. You need to click on the text of the item Messages (not on the switch on the right, but on the category name). This will open a deep menu of settings for a specific channel.
- 🔇 Select the "Silent" option to receive messages without audio.
- 📴 Mute the channel completely if you do not want to receive even visual notifications.
- 🔊 Change the sound to quiet or neutral if complete silence is not required.
- 📳 Adjust the severity of the notification by selecting the “Low” or “Medium” level.
It is in this menu that you can set the behavior of notifications for different phone states. For example, you can set the sound to always be muted, or only when the screen is locked. The system Android allows you to create complex scenarios that will work more stable than the internal settings of the application.
Using Do Not Disturb and Silent modes
The operating system Android offers global sound modes that affect all applications at once, including VKontakte. Using the Do Not Disturb mode is an effective way to temporarily mute all unnecessary sounds without digging deep into the settings of each application separately.
You can activate this mode through the quick settings panel by swiping down from the top edge of the screen. Find the crescent or prohibition sign icon and click on it. In this mode, the phone will block all sound signals, except those that you explicitly add to exceptions.
For more flexible settings, go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb. Here you can create a schedule so that your phone automatically goes into silent mode at night or during business hours. You can also set up exceptions by allowing audio alerts only from selected contacts or repeated calls.
Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb mode → ScheduleIt is important to understand the difference between the “Silent” and “Do Not Disturb” modes. The first one simply reduces media and call volume to zero, but some apps may ignore this limitation. The second mode is a system filter that blocks interrupts at the system kernel level, making it a more reliable tool for ensuring silence.
⚠️ Warning: Do Not Disturb mode may hide visual notifications on the lock screen. Check the content display settings if it is important for you to see the text of messages, even without sound.
Setting exceptions for selected contacts
Often users do not require complete silence, but selective mute: they want to hear messages from loved ones, but ignore noise from general chats or from unfamiliar interlocutors. The VKontakte system Android implements mechanisms to solve this problem.
Inside the application VKontakte you can pin important dialogues, but to customize the sound for a specific person it is better to use system capabilities. In the dialogue menu with a specific user, click on his name in the screen header. In the profile that opens, find the notification settings for this chat.
Here you can set an individual sound or, conversely, turn it off specifically for this dialogue. This allows you to create a situation where the general sound of messages is turned off, but the phone still rings from your best friend. This setting requires more painstaking work, but provides maximum comfort.
| Setting type | Where is located | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Global shutdown | Application settings VK | Mutes the sound of all messages |
| System channel | Android Settings → Applications | Overrides application settings |
| Individual chat | Profile of the interlocutor in the dialogue | Silent mode for only one person |
| Do not disturb mode | Notification curtain / Sound settings | Blocks all sounds temporarily |
Using a combination of these methods allows you to create the ideal sound environment. For example, you can mute all group chats, leaving it only for private messages from your family. The flexibility of modern smartphones allows you to implement almost any scenario.
Why are settings reset?
Sometimes after updating an application or operating system, notification settings may be reset to default values. This is due to the fact that new software versions may change the structure of configuration files or add new notification channels that are initially active. It is recommended to check the sound settings after each major system update.
Solving problems with sound and frozen notifications
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the settings are changed, but the sound is still played, or vice versa - notifications do not arrive at all. Such anomalies are often associated with the application cache or a software version conflict.
The first step is to clear the application cache VK. To do this, go to Settings phone, select Applications, find VKontakte and press Storage. Select option Clear cache. This action will not delete your correspondence or account, but will reset temporary files that can cause errors in notifications.
If clearing the cache did not help, check whether you have an outdated version of the application. Go to Google Play Market or RuStore and make sure you have the latest version VK. Developers regularly fix bugs related to the operation of background services and alerts.
- 🔄 Reboot your smartphone to update system services.
- 🗑️ Clear application data (attention: you will need to log in to your account again).
- 📲 Reinstall the application by downloading it from official source.
- 🔋 Turn off power saving, which may be blocking background work.
It's also worth checking your power saving settings. Aggressive battery saving modes can “kill” the background process of the messenger, which is why notifications arrive with a delay or do not play sound. Add VKontakte to the list of applications that work without restrictions.
☑️ Diagnosis of sound problems
Specifics of working on different versions of Android and shells
Smartphone manufacturers often modify the standard one by adding their own shells, such as from Xiaomi, from Samsung or from Oppo. These changes may affect the layout of the menu and the logic of notifications. Androidby adding your own wrappers such as MIUI from Xiaomi, One UI from Samsung or ColorOS from Oppo. These changes may affect menu layout and notification behavior.
On devices Xiaomi and Redmi there is an additional level of control - “Notification Manager”. Even if notifications are allowed in the system, they may be blocked in this manager. You need to go to the “Security” application → “Notifications” and check the status for VK.
Smartphones Samsung have a “Smart Notifications” function that can automatically lower the volume or mute the sound if the proximity sensor covers the screen or if the phone is lying face down. Check the settings in the section Additional functions.
For owners Huawei i Honor it is critically important to configure the application to work in the background through the “Phone Manager”. Without this, the system may limit the application's ability to play sounds in the background to save resources.
⚠️ Attention: The settings interface may vary depending on the phone model and firmware version. If you do not find the described item, use the search in the settings by entering the word “Notifications” or “Sound”.
On different Android shells, the paths to the settings may differ, but the logic remains the same: you need to find the application in the list of installed apps and configure its notification channels.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does the sound of messages turn on by itself after rebooting the phone?
This may be due to a system reset or a conflict with energy saving. Make sure that you change the settings in the Android system menu (via “Applications”), and not just inside the VK application. Also check if the “Restore default settings” option is checked in the theme or profile manager.
Is it possible to turn off the sound only for group chats?
There is no such option in the standard functionality of the application. However, you can go to the settings of each specific group chat (by clicking on the group name in the dialogue header) and mute the sound individually for each group. This requires manual configuration of all unwanted conversations.
How to make sound only when the screen is unlocked?
Go to the Android notification settings for the VK application, select the “Messages” channel and find the “Lock Screen” item. There you can select the “Hide content” option or customize the sound behavior. However, fine-tuning “sound only when the screen is on” often requires the use of third-party automation or Do Not Disturb modes with a schedule.
Does data saver mode affect the sound of notifications?
The data saver mode itself does not mute the sound, but it may limit background data transfer. If an app doesn't receive a new message on time due to network limitations, the notification (and sound) will be delayed or not arrive at all until you open the app.
What should you do if the sound slider in Settings is grayed out?
This means that audio control is being taken over by a system profile or Do Not Disturb mode. Check to see if global silent mode is activated. Also try changing the phone's sound profile to "Normal" or "Sound", after which the settings in the application should become available for editing.