How do I change the sound settings on Facebook?

ByJael Lawler

Facebook offers various sound settings that allow you to customize audio feedback and notifications on both desktop and mobile. You can control sounds for notifications, in-app feedback, videos, Messenger, and more. Adjusting these settings can optimize your Facebook experience based on personal preferences and accessibility needs.

This guide provides an overview of how to locate and modify sound settings on Facebook across platforms. We’ll cover where to find and change sounds for notifications, in-app feedback, videos, Messenger, and live broadcasts. Additionally, we’ll look at accessibility options for those who need to alter sounds for medical reasons. With some simple adjustments, you can tailor Facebook’s audio to best suit your needs.

Locating Sound Settings

The sound settings on Facebook are accessed through the Settings menu. Here’s how to get to the sound settings on desktop and mobile:

On desktop:

  1. Click the down arrow in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
  4. Click on “Sound” on the left sidebar under “Media and Contacts”.

On mobile:

  1. Tap the three line menu icon in the top right corner.
  2. Select “Settings & Privacy”.
  3. Tap on “Settings”.
  4. Tap on “Sound” under “Preferences”.

This will open the Sound Settings menu where you can adjust notification sounds, in-app sounds, video autoplay, and more.

Notification Sounds

Facebook allows you to control the notification sounds you hear when receiving notifications on both desktop and mobile. You can mute notification sounds completely or change the notification tone.

To manage notification sounds on desktop:

  1. Click the arrow in the top right corner and select “Settings”.
  2. Under “Notifications” click “Edit” next to “Sounds”.
  3. Toggle “Play a sound when you have a new notification” off to mute sounds.
  4. To change the tone, click the dropdown menu and select a new one.

To manage notification sounds in the Facebook mobile app for iOS or Android:

  1. Tap the three line menu icon in the bottom right corner.
  2. Select “Settings & Privacy” then choose “Settings”.
  3. Tap “Sound”.
  4. Toggle off “Sound” to mute notification sounds.
  5. Tap “Notification tone” to pick a new sound.

You can also manage tones for specific notification types like friend requests or messages. The above steps offer full control over all notification sounds.

In-App Sounds

Facebook plays various sounds within the app for things like videos, ads, games, and other interactive elements. These can be distracting or annoying for some users. You can control which of these in-app sounds play on both iOS and Android devices.

On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings and scroll down to “Sounds.” Tap on “In-App Sounds” to toggle it off. This will mute sounds for videos, ads, games, and other audio that automatically plays in the Facebook app.

On Android, tap the three line menu icon and go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Media and Sounds. Toggle off “In-App Sounds” to disable sounds that play automatically while scrolling through the app. You can also adjust the News Feed Autoplay setting on this screen.

Turning off in-app sounds in the Facebook app settings is the only way to globally disable audio that automatically plays as you use Facebook. It will remain disabled unless you go back into the settings and turn it on again.

News Feed Video Auto-Play

Facebook automatically plays videos in your News Feed as you scroll by default. If you prefer to manually start videos instead of having them play automatically, you can turn off this feature.

To turn video autoplay on or off in your News Feed on desktop:

1. Click the down arrow in the top right corner and select “Settings”.

2. On the left sidebar, click “Media and Contacts”.

3. Under “Videos”, turn “Autoplay Videos” on or off.

To turn video autoplay on or off in your News Feed on mobile:

1. Tap the three line menu icon in the bottom right corner and select “Settings & Privacy”.

2. Tap “Media and Contacts”.

3. Turn “Autoplay Videos” on or off.

You can also limit video autoplay over cellular data in your Facebook app settings. Disabling video autoplay can help reduce data usage and battery drain on mobile devices.

Sources: Facebook Help Center, Verizon

Messenger Sounds

You can customize the notification and in-app sounds for Messenger on both iOS and Android devices. This allows you to set different notification sounds for individual Messenger conversations.

To change the default notification sound for Messenger on an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Messenger and select a new sound. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Messenger > Notifications and select a sound.

To set a custom sound for an individual Messenger conversation on iOS, tap the contact name at the top of the conversation, then tap Custom Tone and select a sound. On Android, tap the contact name, tap Notification sound and choose a sound.

To change in-app sounds like when receiving new messages, on iOS go to Settings > Notifications > Messenger > Sounds. On Android go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Messenger > App settings > In-app sounds. Toggle sound effects on/off or customize.

You can also download custom Messenger notification sounds for iPhone from websites like Zedge and use them to set unique alert tones for specific contacts (https://insidetheweb.com/how-to-change-messenger-notification-sound/). This allows easy identification of incoming notifications.

With Messenger’s sound settings, you can assign distinct sounds to VIP conversations so you never miss an important message. Custom sounds for different contacts also helps avoid notification fatigue.

Facebook Live

When broadcasting live video on Facebook, it’s important to manage your audio settings to ensure high quality sound for your viewers. Facebook Live allows you to choose which microphone or audio source to use when going live. You can select between options like your phone’s built-in microphone, external microphones connected via USB or Bluetooth, or audio from a professional mixer.

To adjust your Facebook Live audio sources on mobile, tap the camera icon then Live at the top of the News Feed. Tap Audio and select your preferred source. You can tap the sound waves icon during a broadcast to monitor sound levels and make further adjustments. On desktop, click Live in the status composer and select Audio Preferences to manage sources before going live.

Facebook recommends using dedicated microphones or audio equipment rather than a phone microphone for best results. Position microphones properly to optimize sound quality and consider monitoring audio with headphones. Also check your streaming software’s audio settings if using a third-party broadcasting tools. With proper setup, you can deliver clear audio to enhance the viewer experience.

For more tips, see: Before You Broadcast: A Basic Setup for Facebook Live

Facebook also offers the Live Audio feature for audio-only broadcasting. See: Introducing Live Audio

Accessibility Settings

Facebook offers various accessibility features for users with visual impairments to customize their audio experience. This includes options to turn on audio descriptions for videos, as well as screen reader support.

To enable audio descriptions on videos, go to Settings & Privacy > Accessibility and toggle on “Audio descriptions for videos”. This will add an audio track to videos describing key visual elements for blind and low vision users.1

For screen reader access, Facebook supports leading screen readers like VoiceOver on iOS and TalkBack on Android. The Facebook app is fully compatible with screen readers to read all text and image descriptions aloud. Users can also adjust verbosity and typing feedback settings under Accessibility to customize the audio experience.

Additionally, visually impaired users can turn on “Text To Speech” under Accessibility to have all text on Facebook read aloud. This feature helps make all content on the platform audible.

Troubleshooting Sound Issues on Facebook

If you are experiencing sound issues when using Facebook, such as no audio on videos or silent notifications, there are some troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the problem.

First, check your device’s sound settings to make sure the volume is turned up and the phone is not on a silent or vibrate-only mode. On iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the Control Center and make sure the volume slider is not set to zero and that the silent icon is not highlighted. On Android devices, open the settings app and ensure media volume is turned up under Sound & Vibration.

Next, force close and relaunch the Facebook app. This resets the cache and audio drivers and can fix sound issues caused by a glitch. On iPhone, double click the home button and swipe up on the Facebook preview to close it. On Android, open the app manager in settings and select Force Stop on Facebook.

Rebooting your device is another solution that can clear up temporary audio bugs. Power your phone off completely, wait a few minutes, then power back on and try Facebook again. This refreshes the operating system and audio components.

Checking for Facebook app updates can also resolve bugs causing sound problems. Open your device’s app store, search for Facebook, and install any pending updates.

As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app. This gives you a clean slate for audio. Just be sure to back up any data first.

If issues persist, it may be a broader device, operating system, or browser issue, not just limited to Facebook. Contact the device manufacturer or carrier for further support.

Additional Resources

If you continue experiencing issues with sound settings on Facebook after troubleshooting, here are some additional resources that may help:

Check out Facebook’s Help Center article on managing sound settings. This covers adjusting notification sounds, in-app sounds, video autoplay, and more.

For live chat support, visit Facebook’s help page and click “Message Us.” This connects you with a live agent who can troubleshoot sound issues.

You can also post on the Facebook Community Support page to get help from other users experiencing similar sound problems.

As a last resort, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app on your device to resolve any conflicting settings. Just be sure to backup any data first.

Following these tips from Facebook’s own help resources should help get your sound working again. Reach out for additional support if needed.

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