How do I mute audio on Android video?
Sometimes it can be useful to mute the audio of a video on your Android device for privacy, to eliminate annoying sounds or music, or to focus on a task without distractions. Muting video audio allows you to watch videos without having to hear the associated sounds. This can be beneficial in situations where you want to avoid disturbing others around you with video noise, or if a video’s audio track is irritating.
There are a few different ways to mute video audio on Android devices. The options depend on your device model and Android version, but usually involve adjusting the system or app volume levels, enabling Do Not Disturb mode, using a physical mute button if available, installing a video muting app, or completely removing audio tracks from videos. In this guide, we’ll walk through the various methods to mute video audio on Android phones and tablets.
Locate Video App Audio Settings
To mute the audio in an Android video app, the first step is to open the app and find its audio or sound settings. Most video apps will have an audio/sound option in the app’s settings menu. For example, in the YouTube app, tap your profile icon > Settings > Audio. The YouTube audio settings allow you to adjust volume and enable/disable sound effects. Other popular video apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video also have audio settings accessible from their respective app menus.
Some video apps may not have a dedicated audio section but still allow muting sound in the general settings. For instance, in the TikTok app, go to your profile > Settings & privacy > Sound and enable “Mute sounds.” The Vimeo app has a similar option under Profile > Settings > Audio & captions. Most apps that play video should offer some way to adjust or mute sound.
Locating the audio settings is the first key step in muting the sound in any Android video app. Once you access the sound options, you can then turn off audio as needed.
Mute System Volume
The easiest way to mute audio in videos on an Android device is to lower the system or media volume all the way down. This will mute audio from videos as well as other media playback and notifications. To adjust system volume, open the Settings app and go to Sounds and vibration > Volume. Drag the System volume slider all the way to the left to mute. You can also press the volume keys on the side of your device while a video is playing to adjust just the media volume.1
Lowering system volume mutes all audio except alarms and media marked as priority. It’s useful when you want to mute videos temporarily without fully enabling Do Not Disturb. Just remember to turn volume back up when you want to resume listening.
Mute Notifications
One of the easiest ways to mute audio that plays over videos is to mute notifications in your device settings. Most notifications on Android devices play a sound when they come in, which can interrupt any media you may be watching or listening to.
To mute notifications on Android:
- Open your Settings app
- Navigate to Sounds & Notifications > Notifications
- Toggle off “Default notification sound” and “Default notification vibration” to mute sounds and vibrations for all notifications
You can also long press on a specific app’s notifications and select “Silent” to only mute notifications from that app (source).
Muting notifications is an easy way to ensure popup alerts don’t interrupt your video playback. Just remember to turn notification sounds back on when you are done watching videos.
Enable Do Not Disturb
One of the easiest ways to mute audio on Android is to enable Do Not Disturb mode. This setting mutes all sounds and vibrations, allowing you to avoid interruptions without fully silencing your device.
To enable Do Not Disturb on Android:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap “Sound & vibration” or “Sounds and vibration.”
- Toggle on “Do not disturb.”
With Do Not Disturb enabled, you will not hear ringtones, alerts or alarms. You can customize Do Not Disturb to allow exceptions for certain contacts or apps. Just tap “Do not disturb” in Settings to configure these options.
According to Google’s support documentation, “Do Not Disturb silences your phone so you can avoid distractions.” This mode blocks calls, notifications, alarms and other interruptions so you can focus without sound distractions (source).
Try App Muting Options
Many apps have in-app muting options. For example, the YouTube app allows muting video playback by tapping the volume icon in the bottom right corner. Selecting mute will silence that individual video. The TikTok app also has a volume icon that can mute sounds and audio when tapped. Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, Instagram and other popular apps with video playback generally include easy access mute controls.
Checking for a mute option within the app itself can be the fastest way to silence audio on Android videos. Look for a speaker or volume icon within the app interface. Tap that icon to bring up a volume slider or mute option. Muting through the app directly only affects audio from that app, allowing you to selectively silence videos as needed.
If you can’t find a mute option within an app, you may need to use your device’s system settings or volume controls to mute instead. But exploring the app’s own interface is often the easiest audio muting solution, without affecting sounds from other apps.
Use Physical Mute Button
Some Android phones come equipped with a physical mute button or “alert slider” that can easily mute sounds. This is a convenient way to quickly mute your phone by flipping a switch, without having to dig into software settings. Phones like the OnePlus line contain a three-position slider that can toggle between ring, vibrate, and mute modes.
If your Android phone has a dedicated mute button or slider, using it is the fastest way to mute audio for incoming calls, notifications, media playback, and system sounds. Just flip the switch to the mute position to silence audio. Flip it back when you want to turn sounds back on. This gives you quick physical access to mute without fiddling with the volume buttons or software menus. Depending on your phone model and hardware buttons available, it’s often the most convenient way to mute.
Install Muting Apps
One of the easiest ways to mute audio in Android videos is by installing a dedicated video muting app. These apps allow you to selectively mute the audio in videos without affecting other sounds on your device. Some top options include:
Mute Video (https://www.cyberlink.com/blog/app-video-editing/984/remove-audio-from-video-apps) – This app lets you remove audio from videos shot on your phone. You can mute the entire video or just portions of it.
Video Mute (https://www.media.io/video-editors-tips/video-mute-app.html) – With this app, you can mute the audio in any video saved on your Android device. It also allows editing other aspects like trimming videos.
These dedicated video muting apps provide an easy way to selectively mute audio in Android videos without affecting system or notification sounds.
Permanent Muting Options
One way to permanently mute certain apps on Android is to use the device’s built-in settings. Here are the steps:
First, open the Settings app and go to Apps & Notifications. Tap App Info and select the app you want to mute. Under App Details, tap Notifications.
On the next screen, you’ll see notification categories for the app. Tap Sound and select None to turn off all notification sounds for that app. You can also customize sounds for specific notification types.
This will permanently mute notifications for the selected app. You can repeat these steps for any apps you want to be permanently silent. Just keep in mind you won’t hear alerts from those muted apps unless you have visual notifications enabled.
Some helpful sources with more details on muting app notifications in Android settings:
How do I make my Android app silent?, Is there any option or an app to turn off sound from a selected app in Android but not mute the whole phone?
Conclusion
To review, there are several ways to mute audio on Android video. You can adjust the system volume, mute notifications, enable Do Not Disturb mode, use app-specific muting options, install a dedicated muting app, use the physical mute button if your device has one, or utilize developer options for permanent muting. The easiest solutions are likely adjusting system volume, muting notifications, and using a physical mute button if available. For maximum flexibility, try combining Do Not Disturb mode with app-specific muting. With so many muting options on Android, you can silence distracting sounds and focus on enjoying your videos.