How do I turn off the new email sound in Gmail?

What is the New Email Sound in Gmail?

Gmail recently introduced a new email notification sound that plays when you receive a new email. The sound is designed to catch your attention when you get a new message. The sound can be distracting or annoying for some users.

The new Gmail email notification sound is more prominent and louder than previous email sounds. It features a “pop” sound effect followed by a short melody. Many users have reported that the new sound grabs their attention more than prior sounds.

The notification sound plays automatically whenever you receive a new email in Gmail. It will play on both desktop and mobile. By default, the sound is enabled when you setup a new Gmail account.

If you find the new Gmail email notification sound disruptive or want to customize it, you can turn it off or change it. There are settings in Gmail on desktop and mobile to control the sound.

Why You Might Want to Turn Off the Sound

There are a few reasons why you may want to turn off the Gmail new email notification sound:

The sound can be distracting if you’re trying to focus. Having your phone or computer make a noise every time a new email comes in can disrupt your concentration. This could be an issue if you are trying to get work done and need to minimize distractions.

It may disrupt meetings or calls if your phone goes off. If you forget to silence your devices before an important meeting or call, the Gmail notification sound can be embarrassing and unprofessional if it suddenly rings out.

Some may find the sound annoying or too loud. The default new mail sound in Gmail could irritate people who prefer minimal notifications. Or it may simply be too loud at max volume, especially in quiet settings.

How to Turn Off the Gmail Email Sound on Desktop

To turn off the new email sound in Gmail when using the desktop website, follow these steps:

1. Open Gmail in your desktop web browser.

2. Click on the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top right corner.

3. Click on “See All Settings”.

4. Go to the “Desktop Notifications” section.

5. Uncheck the “New Mail Notification” box. This will disable the sound for new email notifications.¹

With the “New Mail Notification” box unchecked, Gmail will no longer play a sound when you receive a new email. The setting is saved automatically.

Turning Off the Sound in the Gmail Mobile App

To turn off the new email sound in the Gmail mobile app on your iPhone or Android device:

Open the Gmail app on your iPhone or Android. Tap on the hamburger menu icon in the top left corner. Go to Settings. Tap on your account name. Uncheck the “New Mail Notifications” option. This will disable the audible notification for new emails arriving.

You can also customize the notification sound by tapping on “Notification Sound” and selecting a different sound or “None.” Just be aware this will change the sound for all Gmail notifications, not just new mail.

On iOS, you can also go to Settings > Notifications > Gmail and turn off “Sounds” to disable Gmail notification sounds system-wide.

This allows you to keep getting banner notifications for new emails, but mute the audible chime that is triggered each time.

Using Do Not Disturb to Mute Notifications

You can use Do Not Disturb on your device to mute all notifications during certain times. On iPhone, enable Do Not Disturb to mute notifications when you don’t want them.

According to Google Support, on an iPhone, you can open the Gmail app, tap the menu in the top left, and select “Do not disturb” to mute notifications for a set duration. You can also enable Do Not Disturb on your iPhone in the Settings app to mute all notifications during certain times, like overnight.

Customizing the Gmail Notification Sound

If you don’t want to fully mute new email notifications, you can change the sound instead. To customize the notification sound in the Gmail app:

1. Open the Gmail app on your phone.

2. Tap the three line menu icon in the top left.

3. Select Settings.

4. Tap on the account you want to change the notification sound for.

5. Tap Notifications.

6. Under Notification sounds, tap Email.

7. Select a new notification sound from the available options.

You can preview the sounds before selecting one. Once chosen, Gmail will now use that sound for new email notifications instead of the default sound.¹

Turning Off Email Notifications for Specific Accounts

Under notification settings, you can disable new mail notifications for specific accounts. This is useful if you only want notifications for your primary accounts.

On Android, open the Gmail app and tap the menu icon in the top left. Go to Settings > Tap your account > Notifications. Here you can toggle notifications on or off for that specific account.

On iPhone, open the Gmail app and tap the menu icon in the top left. Go to Settings > Notifications > Tap your account. Toggle “New Mail” on or off for that account.

This allows you to customize notifications so you only get notified about important emails. For secondary accounts you don’t check often, you can turn off notifications to avoid constant dings and vibrations. But your primary accounts will still notify you of new mail.

Using Focus Modes to Pause Notifications

Gmail’s Focus modes let you pause notifications during certain times, like when you’re working. You can schedule Focus mode to automatically enable Do Not Disturb at specific times so you won’t be interrupted by new email sounds and notifications.

According to this Google blog post, Focus modes allow you to still receive notifications from certain important contacts when enabled. So you can customize Focus mode to mute most new email alerts while allowing VIP notifications to come through.

To set up Focus mode in Gmail, open your Gmail settings and navigate to Focus time. Here you can schedule Focus mode for certain times and days when you want to minimize distractions. Your notifications will be muted during the scheduled Focus times.

Enabling Focus mode is an easy way to pause all email noises and alerts temporarily. Just schedule the times that work best for your workflow.

Troubleshooting Issues with Gmail Sounds

If you are not hearing the Gmail notification sounds as expected, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try:

First, make sure notifications and sounds are not disabled system-wide on your device. Check your device settings to ensure sounds and notifications are enabled.

Next, open the Gmail app and check the app notification settings. Make sure the notification sound is enabled and not set to “None.”

Another step is to restart your device. Sometimes a simple reboot can resolve intermittent notification issues.

You may also want to update the Gmail app to the latest version from the app store. Newer versions of the app may have resolved bugs affecting notifications and sounds.

As a last resort, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the Gmail app. This will reset all notification settings and often fixes problems with sounds.

If none of these troubleshooting tips work, it’s a good idea to contact Gmail support for further help diagnosing and resolving the missing notification sounds.

Summary

There are several ways to turn off the new email sound in Gmail, both in the desktop and mobile versions. On desktop, you can go to Settings > Notifications and uncheck the New Mail Notifications box. On mobile, go to Settings > Sounds and disable New Mail notifications.

Other options include using Do Not Disturb to mute notifications for set periods of time, or Focus Modes to pause notifications from certain accounts. You can also customize the notification sound itself in Settings.

In summary, Gmail gives you granular control over email notifications. Turn off sounds you find disruptive, while keeping notifications for important accounts. Use Do Not Disturb or Focus when you need to concentrate. With a few simple tweaks, you can manage Gmail alerts to suit your needs.