Are you waiting for an important call, but the phone is silent as a fish? Or suddenly discovered that the sound of incoming calls disappearedalthough music and notifications are working? This problem is familiar to many owners of Androidsmartphones - from budget Xiaomi Redmi to flagship ones. The reasons may lie in both trivial settings and serious system failures. Samsung Galaxy. The reasons may lie in both trivial settings and serious system failures.

In this article we will look at all possible reasons for the disappearance of sound during incoming calls from accidentally turning off silent mode to hardware faults. You will receive step-by-step guide with illustrations (for popular firmware MIUI, One UI, ColorOS), a table of compatibility of solutions with different versions Android, as well as tips on how to avoid recurrence of the problem. If, after checking all the points, the sound still does not appear, at the end of the article you will find a checklist for diagnosing hardware failures.

1. Checking basic sound settings

Start with the obvious: the sound may simply be turned off in the settings. On Android here are several places where you can accidentally turn off the ringtone. Here's what you need to check first:

  • 🔔 Do Not Disturb mode: Swipe down the notification panel and make sure the crescent moon icon is not active. On some firmware (for example, EMUI from Huawei), this mode can block the sounds of calls.
  • 📱 Ringer volume: press the volume up button - a slider will appear on the screen. Make sure that the sound level for calls (usually indicated by a phone icon) is not at zero.
  • 🎵 Sound profile: go to Settings → Sound and vibration. Check if the “Silent” or “Vibration” profile is set.

Pay special attention to individual contact settings. If the sound is lost only for specific numbers, it is possible that they have a quiet ringtone set or notifications are turned off. To check this:

  1. Open the "Contacts" application.
  2. Find the problematic contact and tap on it.
  3. Select "Edit" → "Ring Sound" (or "Notifications").
📊 What smartphone do you have?
Samsung
Xiaomi
Huawei/Honor
Realme/Oppo
Another brand

2. Resetting sound settings to factory settings

If the basic settings are fine, but there is still no sound for incoming calls, try resetting the sound settings. This will help if the problem is caused by a software glitch in the audio system. The instructions differ depending on the firmware:

Firmware Path to reset sound Notes
MIUI (Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO) Settings → Sound and vibration → Reset sound settings Password confirmation required
One UI (Samsung) Settings → Device maintenance → Reset → Reset sound settings Does not delete personal data
ColorOS (Oppo, Realme) Settings → Advanced → Reset sound settings A reboot may be required
Stock Android (Pixel, Motorola) Settings → System → Reset → Reset application settings Resets all application settings, including sound

After the reset, restart the phone and check the sound of the incoming call. If the problem persists, proceed to the next step.

💡

On some smartphones (for example, Samsung Galaxy S22), resetting the sound may return the factory ringtone. To change it, go to Settings → Sounds and vibration → Ringtone

3. Clearing the cache and data of the "Phone" application

The "Phone" application (or "Numbers" in some firmware) is responsible for processing incoming calls. If its cache or data is corrupted, it may result in no sound. To clear them:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications.
  2. Find the "Phone" application (or "Numbers", "Contacts").
  3. Tap "Storage" → "Clear cache".
  4. If that doesn't help, click "Clear data" (this will reset your call settings!).

On some devices (for example, Huawei s EMUI 12), the path may be different: Settings → Applications → Applications → Phone → Memory → Clear cache. After cleaning, restart your smartphone.

Familiarize yourself with the consequences (resetting call settings)

Remember the current ringtone

Check whether important call recordings are saved

Prepare to re-set up speed dialing-->

4. Check permissions for the Phone app

On Android 10 and later, apps require separate permissions to access the microphone and speakers. If the rights are lost (for example, after a system update), the sound during calls may disappear. To check:

  1. Go to Settings → Applications → Phone → Permissions.
  2. Make sure that they are enabled:
    • 🎤 Microphone (for voice calls)
    • 🔔 Notifications (for incoming audio)
    • 📞 Phone (access to calls)
  • If some permissions are disabled, enable them and restart the phone.

    • On Android 13 and newer, additional permission may be required for accurate notifications. Find it in the same permissions menu.

    What to do if there is no "Permissions" item?

    On some firmware (for example, Flyme from Meizu) permissions are hidden. Try an alternative way

    Settings → Privacy → Application permissions → Phone. If not there, reset all permissions via Settings → System → Reset → Reset application permissions (it's safe).

    5. Diagnosis of hardware problems

    If software methods do not help, the problem may be in hardware:

    • 🔊 Call speaker (not to be confused with the main speaker!) - it is responsible only for the sound during conversations and incoming calls. It often fails due to moisture or falls.
    • 🔌 Headphone jack —if dirt or moisture gets into it, the phone may “think” that headphones are connected and redirect the sound there.
    • 📶 Antenna module —when damage can affect call processing (rarely, but it happens).

    To check the call speaker:

    1. Call the phone from another device.
    2. During an incoming call, press your ear to the top of the phone (where the speakerphone is usually located speaker).
    3. If you hear quiet clicks or noise, the speaker is partially working, if there is silence, it is probably faulty.

    To diagnose the headphone jack:

    • Connect the headphones and make a test call. If sound appears in the headphones, there is a problem in the speakers or firmware.
    • Shine a flashlight into the connector: if oxidation or debris is visible, carefully clean it with a toothpick (not metal objects!).
    💡

    If the phone has been dropped or comes into contact with water, hardware failure is likely in 80% of cases. In this case, only a service center will help.

    6. Advanced methods: ADB and safe mode

    If the standard methods did not work, try Safe Mode or commands ADB. This will help determine whether a third-party application or a system glitch is to blame.

    Safe Mode disables all third-party applications. To activate it:

    1. Hold down the power button until the shutdown menu appears.
    2. Press and hold the "Shutdown" icon (on some models - "Reboot").
    3. Confirm switching to safe mode mode.

    After loading, check the sound of the incoming call. If it appears, one of the installed applications is to blame. Remove recently added apps one by one until you find the culprit.

    For diagnostics via ADB:

    1. Install ADB Tools on your computer and connect your phone via USB (with debugging enabled).
    2. Run the command to check audio routing: 
      adb shell dumpsys audio
    3. Look for lines with ring or STREAM_RING. If there is mute=truenearby, the sound is software muted.
    💡

    If you are not sure about ADB commands, use the utility Scrcpy to remotely control your phone from a PC. This is safer than manually entering commands.

    7. Firmware and kernel update

    Bugs in the firmware are a common cause of problems with sound. Manufacturers regularly release patches to correct such errors. To update the system:

    1. Go to Settings → Software Update (the name may differ: "System Update", "Update Center").
    2. Click "Check for updates."
    3. If a new version is available, download and install it.

    On some devices (for example, Xiaomi s MIUI), updates come in waves. If the system says that "there are no updates", but you know about the release of new firmware, try:

    • 🌐 Go to the manufacturer's official website and download the firmware manually.
    • 📱 Use the "Update" application (for example, Mi Update for Xiaomi) with the "Show stable beta versions" option enabled.

    After updating, reset the settings (see section 2), as new software versions may conflict with old sound configurations.

    ⚠️ Attention: Updating the firmware through unofficial sources (custom recovery, modified ROM) can lead to loss of warranty and unstable operation of the phone. Use only official update channels.

    8. When to contact the service center

    If none of the methods helped, most likely the problem is hardware. Here are the signs when you should contact a specialist:

    • 💧 The phone has been dropped into water or exposed to high humidity (even if it is externally dry).
    • 🔧 The sound has disappeared after repairs (for example, replacing the screen or battery).
    • 🔊 The call speaker does not make any sounds (even system ones) signals).
    • 📱 A warning about damage to the speaker appears on the screen (for example, "Audio hardware error").

    The cost of repairing the call speaker in service centers:

    Brand Cost (speaker replacement) Repair period
    Samsung 1 500 — 3 000 ₽ 1–2 days
    Xiaomi/Redmi 1 200 — 2 500 ₽ 1 day
    Huawei/Honor 1 800 — 3 500 ₽ 2–3 days
    Google Pixel 2 500 — 4 000 ₽ 3–5 days

    Before visiting the service:

    1. Make a backup copy of your data (in case of a reset).
    2. Write down the IMEI of the phone (dial *#06#).
    3. Check whether the warranty is still valid after repair.
    ⚠️ Attention: Some service centers refuse to repair phones with an unlocked bootloader or root access. If you have previously modified the system, return it to stock before your visit.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about missing call sounds.

    🔍 Why did the sound disappear only for a specific contact?

    Most likely, a quiet ringtone is set for this contact or notifications are disabled. Check the contact settings (see Section 1Also, the reason may be the black list - go to Settings → Blocking numbers and make sure that the contact is not active). blocked.

    📵 There is sound, but it is very quiet. How to increase the volume?

    Try:

    1. Enable mode. "Boost sound" in the accessibility settings.
    2. Use applications like Volume Booster (be careful - it may damage the speakers!).
    3. Clean the speaker mesh from dust (with a soft brush).

    🔄 After updating Android, the sound disappeared What. what to do?

    The update could reset the sound settings or damage the audio system cache. First, reset the sound settings (see section 2). If that doesn't help, clear the partition cache /cache via recovery (look for instructions for your model on the forums 4PDA or XDA).

    🎧 The sound comes only to the headphones, even when they are not connected

    This is a typical sign of a dirty or damaged headphone connector. The phone “thinks” that the headphones are connected. Try:

    • Clean the connector with alcohol and compressed air.
    • Connect and disconnect the headphones several times.
    • Reset the sound settings (see section 2).

    If this does not help, a replacement is required connector.

    🚨 The error "Audio service crashed" appears on the screen. How to fix it?

    This is a critical audio system failure. Try in order:

    1. Reboot your phone.
    2. Clear the cache and data of the "Phone" applications. "Audio system" (com.android.phone and com.android.audiofx).
    3. Reset the settings to factory settings (saving the data).
    4. If the error remains, reflash the phone with the official firmware.