How to completely or partially turn off the sound on an Android phone: all methods

Sound on a smartphone can become a real problem: annoying notifications wake you up at night, system signals distract you at work, and sudden music playback in transport causes embarrassment. Fortunately, Android offers several levels of control over sound —from complete silent mode to fine-tuning individual options. In this article, we will look at all the available methods, including hidden functions for advanced users.

It is important to understand that the sound control interface may differ depending on manufacturer (Samsung One UI, Xiaomi MIUI, pure Android) and OS version (from Android 10 to 14). However, the basic principles remain universal. We will look at solutions for all popular scenarios: how to turn off the sound permanently, how to do it temporarily, and how to turn off only specific types of signals (calls, notifications, keyboard).

If you are looking for a way Completely mute the phone at an important event or during sleep, without turning off the alarm, here you will find the optimal settings. And for those who want to keep some sounds (for example, calls), but remove the rest, we provide detailed instructions for selective muting.

1. Quickly mute all sounds through the notification panel

The easiest way to silence your phone is to use Silent mode (or "Vibration"), which mutes all media sounds and notifications, while maintaining the ability to make calls (unless configured otherwise). This method works on all devices, regardless of brand.

Instructions:

• 📱 Unlock the screen and swipe down from the top edge to open the notification panel.
• 🔊 Find the icon Sound/Ring/Volume (usually in the top row of quick settings).
• 🔕 Click on it and select:
• Silent — completely turn off all signals (except alarm clock).
• Vibration —the phone will vibrate for notifications.
• Sound —returns to standard mode.
• 🔒 On some phones (for example Samsung Galaxy), you can pin this mode by holding your finger on the icon - a menu with a timer will appear (for example, "Mute for 1 hour").

Method limitations:

• ❌ Does not disable alarm clocks some system signals (for example, low battery alerts).
• ❌ Does not work for media sounds some applications (for example, YouTube may continue to play).

2. Completely mute the sound through the phone settings

If you need Permanently remove all sounds (including system ones), you will have to go into deep settings. This method is suitable for users who want the phone to work as quietly as possible, but at the same time not miss important notifications through vibration.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Open the application Settings (gear on the main screen or in the menu applications).
2. Go to section Sound and vibration (on some phones it may be called Sound or Sounds and notifications).
3. Find the option Sound mode or Volume and select Without sound.
4. To completely disable vibration, find the subsection Vibration and deactivate all switches (for example, "Vibration on touch" or "Vibration notifications").

Disabled "Sound" mode in settings|Vibration is turned off for notifications and keyboard|Media volume is set to 0|System sounds are turned off in additional settings-->

On phones Xiaomi i Redmi the path may be different:

Settings → Sound and vibration → Advanced settings → System sounds → Disable all

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example Huawei or Honor) completely turning off system sounds may result in you not being able to hear notifications about charging completion or critical errorsCheck whether this affects functions that are important to you.

3. Disabling notification sounds for individual applications. data-i="115">If you are annoyed by notifications from specific instant messengers or games, but you don’t want to turn off the sound completely, you can configure

If you are annoyed by notifications from specific instant messengers or games, but you don’t want to turn off the sound completely, you can configure individual parameters for each application. This is especially useful for Telegram, WhatsApp, VK and other chats.

How to do it do:

1. Open Settings → Applications (or Manage applications).
2. Select the application whose sounds you want to turn off (for example, Instagram).
3. Go to section Notifications.
4. Disable the switch Sound or Sound alert.
5. Optional: disable Vibration and Pop-up notificationsif they also interfere.

For Samsung the path may look like this:

Settings → Notifications → Additional settings → Notification sounds → Select application

Application	Path to sound settings	Features
WhatsApp	⚙️ → Notifications → Notification tone → None	You can mute the sound for groups and personal chats separately.
Telegram	⚙️ → Notifications and sounds → Sound notifications → Silent	There is a "Silent mode" option for specific chats.
VK	Profile → Settings → Notifications → Sound	Disables sounds only for notifications, not for videos.
Gmail	☰ → Settings → [Account] → Notifications → Sound	You can set the sound for different labels (for example, "Important").

On Xiaomi i POCO there is an additional function Do not disturbthat allows you to create rules for individual applicationsFor example, you can allow sound only for calls from selected contacts, and mute all other notifications.

4. Disabling keyboard sounds, screen lock and other system signals

Many users do not suspect that the phone makes dozens of hidden system soundsclicks when typing, screen lock signal, charging connection sound, and even camera soundThey can be turned off separately without affecting notifications or notifications. media.

Where to look for these settings:

• 🎹 Keyboard sounds:
• For Gboard (Google keyboard): Settings → System → Language and input → Virtual keyboard → Gboard → Settings → Sound when pressed.
• For Samsung Keyboard: Settings → General control → Language and input → Samsung keyboard → Sound and vibration.
• 🔒 Lock/unlock sound:
• On most phones: Settings → Sound and vibration → System sounds → Lock sound.
• On Xiaomi: Settings → Sound and vibration → Additional settings → Screen lock sound.
• 📷 Camera shutter sound:
• In the application Camera find ⚙️ → Settings → Shutter sound (on some phones this sound cannot be turned off due to local laws, for example, in Japan or Korea).

Why can’t the camera shutter sound be turned off on some phones?

In some countries (Japan, South Korea), laws require manufacturers to turn on the camera shutter sound by default to prevent hidden shooting. On phones sold in these regions, the option to mute the sound may not be available even after changing the firmware.

On Samsung Galaxy there is a hidden option to mute the sound when charging is connected:

Settings → Device care → Battery → ⚙️ (three dots) → Additional settings → Charging sound

⚠️ Attention: Disabling the screen lock sound may create problems with determining the state of the phone (for example, you will not hear that the screen is locked after a call). This is relevant for devices with a faulty display or sensor.

5. Using the "Do Not Disturb" mode for flexible sound control

Function Do not disturb (Do Not Disturb, DND) is the most powerful tool to control sounds. It allows you to:

• 🕒 Set schedule (for example, turn off sounds at night).
• 📵 Allow sounds only from selected contacts.
• 🔔 Disable all notifications or only those that are annoying.
• 📱 Automatically turn on when connected to Wi-Fi (for example, at work).

How to set up:

1. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Do not disturb (or Do not disturb mode).
2. Turn on the mode manually or configure Schedule (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00).
3. In the section Exceptions select which sounds to allow:
• 📞 Calls —from all or only selected ones.
• ⏰ Alarms — usually remain on.
• 💬 Messages —can be turned off completely or left from important contacts.

On Xiaomi i Realme there is an option Automatic ruleswhere you can create scripts (for example, "Enable DND when connecting to office Wi-Fi").

On Google Pixel and phones with pure Android there is an additional option Media in the DND settings. If you turn it on, music and video will also be muted, which is useful for those who forget to turn off YouTube before going to bed.

6. engineering menu (for experienced users)

If standard methods do not help (for example, on custom firmware or old phones), you can use engineering menuThis method requires caution, since incorrect settings can disrupt the operation of the device.

Instructions for phones on MediaTek:

1. Open the application Phone.
2. Enter the combination: ##36446337## (or ##4636## for the general test menu).
3. Go to section Hardware Testing → Audio.
4. Find options Speaker, Ringer, Media and set the value 0 for volume.
5. Save the settings and reboot the phone.

For phones on Qualcomm Snapdragon:

1. Enter in your phone: ##4636##.
2. Select Audio → Volume.
3. Set all sliders to minimum.

⚠️ Attention: Changes in the engineering menu are not saved after reboot on some devices In addition, incorrect settings may result. to losing sound in calls or other critical functions. Use this method only if other methods have not worked.

An alternative for root users is editing the file /system/media/audio/ui/, where system sounds are stored. You can replace them with empty files, but this requires superuser rights and backup.

7. Problems and solutions: why does the sound not turn off?

Sometimes, even after all the settings, the phone continues to make sounds. Considerable reasons and solutions:

Problem	Possible cause	Solution
Notification sound returns after reboot	Failure in settings or application conflict	Reset settings sound: Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset sound settings.
Media sound does not turn off in Silent mode	The application ignores system settings	Open the application (for example, YouTube) and manually set the volume to 0.
Keyboard sound returns after update	Reset keyboard settings	Update your keyboard (for example Gboardin Google Play and turn off the sound again.
"Do Not Disturb" does not work as scheduled	Power saving limits	Add DND mode to battery optimization exceptions: Settings → Battery → Battery optimization → All apps → "Do Not Disturb" mode disturb".

If none of the methods worked, check:

• 🔄 System updates —some bugs are fixed in new versions of Android.
• 🛠️ Conflicting applications —for example, sound managers or launchers (for example, Nova Launcher may override settings).
• 📱 Hardware buttons —Some phones (for example Sony Xperia) have a physical volume switch that can reset settings.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about muting the sound on Android

Is it possible to mute the alarm sound in silent mode?

No, alarms they work regardless of the "Silent" or "Do not disturb" mode. To disable them, you need to manually delete or turn off the alarm in. application Clocks. An exception is some phones (for example, Huawei) allow you to add alarms to the list of DND mode exceptions.

Why the sound in games is not muted when the phone in silent mode?

Many games (for example, PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact) use own sound engine, which ignores system settings. Solution:

1. Open the game and find the sound settings inside it.
2. Set the volume to 0 or turn off sound effects.
3. If there is no option, use Do not disturb with the option enabled Mute media sounds.

How to mute the sound in the headphones, but leave it on the speaker?

Android does not separate the volume of the speaker and headphones at the system level, but you can:

• Use applications like SoundAssistant (for Samsung), which allow you to configure the sound separately for different output devices.
• Some players (for example, VLC) have an option Audio outputwhere you can choose where to send the sound.

Is it possible to mute the sound only for a specific contact?

Yes, but only for calls:

1. Open the application Contact and select the desired contact.
2. Click Edit → Ringtone → Mute.
3. For messages, use the messenger notification settings (for example, in WhatsApp you can turn off sound for a specific chat).

Why, after turning off all sounds, does the phone still beep when charging is connected?

This sound is controlled separately from the main settings. To remove it:

• On Samsung: Settings → Device care → Battery → ⚙️ → Charging sound.
• On Xiaomi: Settings → Sound and vibration → Additional settings → Power connection sound.
• On pure Android: this sound is usually turned off along with other system signals in Settings → Sound → System sounds.

If there is no option, try disabling all system sounds or using mode Do not disturb.