How to turn on sound in WhatsApp on Android: 5 methods + troubleshooting

Are you missing important messages in WhatsAppbecause the application does not make sound signals? Or did the messenger suddenly become silent after the update? The problem with sound in WhatsApp on Android is one of the most common, but it can be easily fixed in 2-3 minutes. In this article you will find step-by-step guide for all versions of the application (including WhatsApp Business), as well as solutions for cases where the sound disappeared after resetting the settings or installing custom firmware.

We will look at not only standard notification settings, but also hidden parameters that affect sound playback. For example, why on some Xiaomi and Samsung smartphones, the sound in WhatsApp is blocked by the energy-saving mode, even if everything is turned on in the settings. You will also learn how to check whether notifications are disabled at level Android —this is a common reason for the messenger to be “silent” after updating the operating system.

If you have already tried to turn on the sound through the menu Settings → Notifications, but nothing helped - don’t close the article! In the last sections we collected non-obvious solutions, which work even when standard methods are powerless. For example, resetting the application cache or forcing a stop of services Google Playresponsible for notifications.

1. Checking basic sound settings in WhatsApp

Start with the most obvious - make sure that sound notifications are not disabled in the messenger itself. Even if you are sure that everything is configured correctly, check: after updating the application or resetting the phone, the parameters may become lost.

Open WhatsApp and follow these steps:

• 📱 Tap by three dots in the upper right corner (menu).
• ⚙️ Select Settings → Notifications.
• 🔔 In section Notification tone check that the melody is selected (not Mute or Silent mode).
• 🔊 Make sure the slider Vibration active (if vibration feedback is needed).
• 📌 At the bottom of the screen, enable the option Show notifications (on some firmware it is hidden under Additional).

If everything is in order here, but there is still no sound, the problem may lie in global Android settings or a conflict with other applications. Proceed to the next section.

2. Setting up notifications at the Android level

Android allows you to manage notifications for each application separately. Sometimes the sound disappears due to the fact that sound signals for the messenger are disabled at the system level. Here's how to check it: WhatsApp disappears due to the fact that sound signals for the messenger are disabled at the system level. Here's how to check it:

Go to Phone settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Notifications. The following should be enabled here:

• 🎵 Sound (select any melody except Mute).
• 📳 Pop-up notifications (option Allow).
• 🔄 Icons on the lock screen (does not directly affect the sound, but is useful for visibility).
• 📊 Priority (install Highso that notifications are not ignored by the system).

On some firmware (for example, MIUI on Xiaomi or ColorOS on Oppo) the path to the settings may differ. If you do not find the section Notifications inside the application information, try:

1. Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Do Not Disturb mode and make sure that WhatsApp is not in the exception list.
2. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Notifications and check if sounds are disabled for all applications.

3. Problems with sound after updating WhatsApp or Android

If the sound disappeared immediately after the update messenger or operating system, the reason may be reset permissions or conflict with new politicians Android. Here's what to do:

Method 1: Reset WhatsApp cache

The application cache sometimes contains outdated data that prevents notifications from working correctly. To clear it:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Memory.
2. Tap Clear cache (do not confuse with Clear data - this will delete the history chats!).
3. Reboot your phone.

Method 2: Reinstall WhatsApp

If resetting the cache did not help, try reinstalling messenger without data loss:

Make a backup copy to Google Drive (Settings → Chat → Backup)|Delete the application|Install WhatsApp again from Google Play|Restore chats on first launch-->

Method 3: Check permissions for Google Play Services

The service is partially responsible for notifications Android 10+ the service is partially responsible for notifications Google Play Services. If permissions are disabled, audio may not work. To fix this: WhatsApp may not work. To fix this:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Google Play Services → Permissions.
2. Make sure that all permissions related to Notifications and Sound.
3. Restart the phone.

Why may the sound disappear after updating Android?

New OS versions often change the logic for working with notifications. For example, in Android 13 there is now separate control over “notification permissions” for each application. If after the upgrade you have not confirmed WhatsApp access to notifications, the sound will be blocked.

4. Features on smartphones of different brands

Smartphone manufacturers often modify Androidby adding their own power saving or notification management features. This may lead to problems with sound in WhatsApp. Below are solutions for popular brands.

Brand	Problem	Solution
Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO	Notifications are blocked by "Battery and performance"	Add WhatsApp to No restrictions in battery settings
Samsung	Sound does not work in mode Do not disturb	Add WhatsApp to Exceptions in sound settings
Huawei, Honor	The application "falls asleep" due to optimization	Disable Launch control for WhatsApp in the settings
Oppo, Realme, Vivo	Notifications are not displayed on the screen blocking	Enable Show notification contents in the blocking settings

On Samsung with shell One UI disabling it may also help functions Adaptive battery:

1. Go to Settings → Device maintenance → Battery.
2. Tap on ⋮ → Settings.
3. Disable Adaptive battery and Optimizing application performance.

5. Problems with sound in specific situations

Sometimes the sound in WhatsApp works incorrectly only in certain scenarios. Let's look at the most common cases.

Case 1: There is sound, but only when the screen is unlocked

If notifications sound only when you are actively using the phone, check:

• 🔓 Settings Sound and vibration v Android: make sure that the mode Do not disturb is not activated for the locked screen.
• 📱 Settings WhatsApp: in section Notifications → Advanced enable the option Sound when locked (if available).
• 🔊 Media volume: on some firmware notification sound tied to the media volume (check the slider in the quick settings panel).

Case 2: The sound disappeared after connecting Bluetooth headphones

If you were using a Bluetoothheadset, and then the sound in WhatsApp disappeared, try:

1. Disable Bluetooth in the notification panel.
2. Restart WhatsApp (close from multitasking and open again).
3. Check whether the sound output settings are lost: Settings → Sound → Sound output (should be Phone speaker).

Case 3: Sound works, but with a delay (after 5-10 minutes)

Notification delay is usually due to energy-saving features or problems with Google Play ServicesSolutions:

• 🔄 Turn off the mode Battery optimization for WhatsApp (see section 4).
• 📥 Update Google Play Services to Google Play.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone - sometimes this resets frozen processes.

6. Radical solutions: when nothing helps

If you have tried all the methods, but the sound in WhatsApp still does not work, it's time for drastic measures. These methods should only be used as a last resort, as they may affect other functions of the phone.

Method 1: Reset all notification settings

On some firmware (for example, MIUI or EMUI) you can reset notification settings to factory settings:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Manage applications → Notification settings.
2. Tap on ⋮ → Reset notification settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

Method 2: Rollback WhatsApp to the previous version

If the problem appeared after updating the messenger, try returning the old version:

1. Delete current WhatsApp.
2. Download the APK file of the previous version from a reliable source (for example, official website).
3. Install the APK, disabling verification for the time being Unknown sources.
4. Block automatic updates WhatsApp in Google Play.

⚠️ Attention: Installing APKs from untrusted sources may threaten the security of your device. Use only official channels or trusted sites like APKMirror.

Method 3: Reset your phone to factory settings

This is an extreme measure that should be resorted to only if all other methods have not worked. Before resetting be sure to make a backup copy data!

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
2. Select Reset all settings (don't Delete all dataif you don't want to lose files).
3. Confirm the action and wait until the reboot.

After After resetting the settings, the sound in WhatsApp should work, but you will have to reconfigure other phone settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accounts, etc.).

7. Frequent user mistakes when setting up sound

Many problems with sound in WhatsApp arise due to incorrect user actions or misunderstanding of how notifications work in Android. Here are the most common errors:

• 🚫 Mute the sound in the chat itself. If you manually muted notifications for a specific conversation (long press on chat → Mute notifications), the sound will not play, even if the global settings are correct.
• 🔕 Using the "Do not disturb" mode. Many people forget that this mode can block notification sounds, even if there is no bell icon with a strikethrough on the screen.
• 🔋 Energy saving mode. On Xiaomi, Huawei and other brands, aggressive battery settings can “put you to sleep” WhatsApp, which is why notifications arrive with a delay or without sound.
• 📵 Disabling mobile data for WhatsApp. Without access to the network, the messenger cannot receive messages, and therefore notify about them.
• 🔊 Set notification volume to zero. Check the volume slider in the quick settings panel - sometimes it accidentally gets lost.

Another error - ignoring updates. If you haven't updated WhatsApp or Androidfor a long time, bugs may accumulate in the system that affect the sound. Regularly check for updates in Google Play and phone settings.

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware (for example, ColorOS on Oppo) the notification sound is tied to profile Sound/Vibration/No sound in the control panel. Make sure that the profile is selected Soundand not Vibration otherwise the melody will not be played.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions

🔍 Why is there no sound in WhatsApp, but vibration works?

This means that the problem lies specifically in sound playbackand not in notifications in general. Check:

1. Sound settings in WhatsApp (section Notifications → Notification tone —the melody must be selected, not Mute).
2. Global notification volume in Android (in the quick settings panel or in Settings → Sound).
3. Is the sound muted for a specific chat (long press on the dialogue → Notifications).

If everything is turned on, but there is no sound, try changing the notification ringtone to another (sometimes sound files are damaged).

📵 The sound in WhatsApp disappeared after updating Android. What to do?

OS updates often reset permissions for applications. Do the following:

1. Check whether notifications are disabled for WhatsApp at the system level (Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Notifications).
2. Give WhatsApp all necessary permissions (including Display on top of other windowsif any).
3. Reboot the phone - sometimes this helps to apply new settings.

If the problem persists, try clear cache Google Play Services (see section 3).

🔊 How to make the sound in WhatsApp louder?

The volume of notifications in Android is adjusted separately from media and calls To increase the sound:

1. Press the volume button on your phone and make sure you are adjusting the volume Notifications (on some phones you need to tap the arrow next to the slider).
2. In WhatsApp select a louder melody in Settings → Notifications → Notification tone.
3. If you are using custom firmware, check the settings Audio amplifier (for example, ViPER4Android).

On Samsung you can also turn on Adaptive sound in the notification settings - this automatically increases the volume in a noisy environment.

📱 Why does WhatsApp make sound on one phone, but not on another? no?

This can happen for several reasons:

• 📵 Different notification settings on devices (check Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Notifications).
• 🔋 Energy saving modes (on one phone WhatsApp may be in the exception list, on the other - not).
• 🔊 Notification volume disabled on one of the devices.
• 📲 Different versions of WhatsApp or Android (older versions may have sound bugs).

Compare the settings on both phones using the instructions from this article.

🔄 How to reset all notification settings in WhatsApp?

To return notification settings to factory settings:

1. Open WhatsApp and go to Settings → Notifications.
2. Tap on ⋮ → Reset settings (if such there is no option, delete and reinstall the application).
3. At level Android reset notification settings for the application: Settings → Applications → WhatsApp → Notifications → Reset.

After resetting, sound and vibration will return to standard values.