How do I turn off the onscreen keyboard sound?

The onscreen keyboard, sometimes called the virtual keyboard, is a keyboard that appears on a device’s display screen when launched. On mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, the onscreen keyboard allows users to enter text by tapping on keys. On desktop computers, the onscreen keyboard functions as an accessibility tool for those unable to use a physical keyboard.

A common feature of onscreen keyboards is the ability to produce keyboard click sounds when keys are tapped. Some users find these typing sounds helpful as audio feedback when entering text. However, others may find the keyboard sounds distracting or unnecessary, especially in quiet environments. Fortunately, on most devices, it is possible to disable or turn off the keyboard sounds.

Locate Sound Settings

On Android, the sound settings are located in the device’s Settings app under Sound or Sound & Vibration (1). To find the sound settings:

1. Open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Tap on the “Sound” or “Sound & Vibration” option. This is where the sound and vibration controls are located.
3. You may need to tap Advanced or Additional settings to see all of the available sound controls.

The Settings menu varies between Android manufacturers and versions, but the Sound section will include controls for ringtones, media volume, alarms, and system sounds like the keyboard clicks (2).

Sources:

(1) https://support.google.com/android/answer/9082609?hl=en

(2) https://support.google.com/android/answer/9082609?hl=en-GB

Toggle Keyboard Sounds Off

To turn off keyboard sounds, you need to access your device’s sound or audio settings. On both iOS and Android devices, there is typically a setting to toggle keyboard clicks and keypress sounds on or off.

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Tap Keyboard Clicks to switch the toggle off. This will disable sounds when typing on the default iOS keyboard.

On Android devices, open Settings > Sound & vibration > Other sounds or Advanced. Look for an option like “Touch sounds” or “Keyboard sound” and turn it off. For example, on Samsung Galaxy devices, tap Touch sounds > Keyboard sound to disable.

Turning off these keyboard sound effects in your device’s sound settings is the easiest way to mute typing sounds from the default keyboard. Some keyboard apps may also have their own sound settings to customize.

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Customize Keyboard App Sounds

Many keyboard apps like Gboard have their own sound settings that can be adjusted. For example, in Gboard for Android, open the Gboard app and tap on Settings. Under Preferences, there is a Sounds section where you can toggle sound on/off and customize vibration, keypress sound intensity, and keypress vibration intensity (source). Similarly for Gboard on iOS, open Gboard settings and under Feedback, there are options to customize keypress sound and vibration (source). Checking these app-specific sound settings is important, as they may override the system keyboard sound settings.

Other popular keyboard apps like SwiftKey and Swype also have sound controls in their settings. It’s worth exploring the settings of your preferred keyboard app and customizing the audio feedback accordingly. Turning off sounds or lowering the volume in the app itself often provides more granular control over keyboard sounds.

Use a Silent Keyboard App

Many third-party keyboard apps for both Android and iOS come with no keypress sounds by default. One popular app that works on both platforms is the aptly named “Silent Keyboard” app

On Android, you can download Silent Keyboard from the Google Play store. The app has no audible key clicks or other sound effects, so using it ensures you’ll have a sound-free typing experience. Just make sure to enable the app as your active keyboard input method. (Source)

For iPhone and iPad, you can install Silent Keyboard from the App Store. It functions the same way by omitting all keypress sounds. To use it, open Settings and go to General > Keyboard > Keyboards and toggle Silent Keyboard on. You can then switch to it as your active keyboard whenever you want a sound-free typing experience. (Source)

The benefit of using a silent keyboard app is you don’t have to modify system settings every time you want quiet typing. Just enable the silent keyboard when needed. This provides a quick and easy way to turn off keyboard sounds on both major mobile platforms.

iOS Instructions

To disable the keyboard sounds on an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Scroll down and tap on “Sounds & Haptics.”

3. Under the “System Sounds and Vibration Patterns” section, toggle the switch next to “Keyboard Clicks” to the off position.

This will turn off the key press sounds for your iPhone keyboard. You can toggle it back on at any time if you want to re-enable the keyboard sounds.

If you want to customize the keyboard sounds specifically within a keyboard app like Gboard, follow these steps:

1. Open the Gboard app settings.

2. Tap on “Preferences.”

3. Toggle the “Sound on keypress” setting to off.

This will mute keypress sounds only within the Gboard keyboard, while keeping other keyboard sounds enabled. You can also customize the keypress sound within Gboard from this menu.

For more details, refer to the following sources:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102463

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/turn-off-typing-sound-on-an-iphone/

Test Sound Settings

After turning off keyboard sounds, it’s important to test that the changes were successful. Try typing on the keyboard to confirm the sounds are now disabled. Listen carefully for any clicking, tapping, or other sounds made while pressing keys. If sounds are still audible, double check that keyboard sounds are disabled in your sound settings. You may need to restart your device or the keyboard app for changes to take effect.

Typing a few sentences or paragraphs will allow you to thoroughly test if disabling keyboard sounds was effective. If you still hear sounds, you may need to troubleshoot further or try using a silent keyboard app instead. But if your keyboard typing is now silent, you have successfully turned off the keyboard sounds.

Additional Sound Settings

Android devices offer various other sound settings you can customize beyond volume and ringtones. For example, you can control sounds for screen tapping, locking, and dial pads.

To access these, open your Settings app and go to Sound & Vibration (or Sound & Notification on some devices). Tap Advanced or Other Sounds.

Here you can toggle settings like “Vibrate on tap” to control haptic feedback when tapping the screen. Enable “Dial pad tones” to hear sounds when dialing numbers on the Phone app. And “Screen locking sounds” lets you turn on or off sounds when locking/unlocking the screen.

For more granular control, check your keyboard app settings. Google’s Gboard lets you separately manage keypress sounds and vibration.

You can also install third party apps like Volume Scheduler to automatically change sound profiles at certain times. Using these additional sound settings can help customize your device to best suit your needs and preferences.

Source: 6 gotta-know sound settings for Android and iOS

Accessibility Options

For Android users who require assistive technologies, there are accessibility services that can help customize audio feedback like keyboard sounds. Android’s Accessibility API allows apps to provide user interface enhancements and other accessibility features such as reading text aloud or providing haptic feedback.

Some examples of accessibility services that can customize keyboard sounds include:

• Android’s AccessibilityService API – Allows apps to receive callbacks for key events like typing, which could be used to mute keyboard sounds.
• Built-in screen readers like TalkBack – Can customize keyboard feedback noises and vibrations.
• Third party apps like Sound Amplifier – Provide settings to increase/decrease keyboard sounds.

Check your device’s Accessibility settings to enable services that can customize keyboard audio feedback and behavior.

Summary

In summary, there are a few different ways to mute or turn off keyboard sounds on mobile devices:

Go into your device’s Sound or Sound & Haptics settings and toggle off keyboard clicks and sounds. This will mute sounds globally.

Select a silent keyboard app from the app store that has built-in quiet typing. This mutes keyboard sounds within that particular app.

Customize keyboard sound effects in your device keyboard’s settings or app. Reduce volume levels or select silent sound options.

Use your device’s Accessibility settings to turn off all system sounds, including keyboard clicks. Enable the Mono Audio and/or Mute System Sounds options.

Try a combination of global device sound settings and custom keyboard app settings to fully mute keyboard tapping sounds and clicks on mobile phones and tablets.