How do I turn off the sound when I record on my Android?

Android devices come with a default camera app that automatically records audio when capturing videos. While convenient, users may sometimes prefer to disable audio recording to avoid ambient noises or for privacy reasons.

Fortunately, there are steps Android users can take to mute or limit audio recording during video capture. This guide will explore options in the native camera app, third-party camera apps, Android settings, and other apps to stop unwanted sounds in your videos.

Understand Android’s Default Camera App Settings

The default Camera app on Android devices allows you to record video with or without sound. There are a few ways to control the audio settings when recording video directly in the app.

Open the Camera app and tap on the Settings icon, which looks like a gear. There should be an option to toggle the microphone audio on or off for recording videos (as seen in this article). If the option is not immediately visible, tap ‘Advanced’ or ‘More options’ to find the setting to enable or disable sound when recording.

Additionally, you may be able to select the audio source, like an external microphone, if one is connected. As explained in this guide, open the Camera app settings and look for an option to change the microphone input source.

So in summary, dive into the Camera app settings to control sound when recording videos on an Android device. Toggle microphone audio on or off or select an external mic as needed.

Use a Third Party Camera App

Many good third party camera apps allow for audio control. For example, the No Sound Camera app (source) is designed specifically for silent photo and video capture. It has options to mute the shutter sound as well as microphone audio during recording. Other highly-rated general purpose camera apps like Open Camera (GNU General Public License) also give you manual control over audio settings.

The advantage of using a third party camera app instead of your phone’s default camera is gaining more customizable controls. You can tweak the audio capture to meet your specific needs, like muting sounds if you want to take photos discreetly in public. The best camera apps provide granular settings while still being easy to use.

Adjust Global Android Settings

The global Android settings have toggles to mute media and recording sounds. You can access these in the Settings app under Sound & vibration. There is a toggle for “Media volume” that controls volume for music, videos, games, and other media. Setting this to mute will silence media playback. There is also a “Microphone mute” toggle that disables the microphone globally, preventing any apps from recording audio.

As an example, on a Samsung Galaxy device running Android 9: “You can just use AudioManager.setStreamMute() . Feel free to use the code below. //mute audio AudioManager amanager=(AudioManager) getSystemService(Context.AUDIO_SERVICE);
amanager.setStreamMute(Stream.VOICE_CALL, true);” (Source).

Use Do Not Disturb Mode

Turning on Do Not Disturb (DND) mode in Android is an easy way to mute all sounds from the device, including recording audio. When enabled, all notifications, ringtones, media sounds, alarms, and audio recording will be muted. This will provide complete silence when recording video or audio with your Android’s camera.

To enable DND mode:

1. Open the Settings app from the Apps screen or Notifications tray.
2. Tap Sounds and Vibration. You may also see this listed as Sounds & Notification.
3. Tap the toggle switch beside Do Not Disturb and turn it on.

That’s all there is to it! With DND mode enabled, audio recording from any app will be completely muted.
Just remember to disable Do Not Disturb mode later in Settings to unmute your device again when needed.

Mute the Microphone

You can mute your Android device’s microphone which prevents it from recording any audio when capturing videos or using other apps. An app called Mute Mic offers a simple one-button interface to mute the microphone input volume system-wide.

Just install the Mute Mic app and tap the button to toggle the microphone on or off. When muted, no apps on your device will be able to access the microphone. This provides a quick and easy way to disable audio recording if you just want to capture video.

The key benefit of using Mute Mic or a similar muting app is that you don’t have to dig into settings for individual apps. Toggling the microphone via the app mutes audio across all apps on your Android device.

Use Airplane Mode

Turning on Airplane mode is an easy way to mute all sounds on your Android device. When Airplane Mode is enabled, it disables all network connectivity including Wi-Fi and cellular networks.

An added benefit is that it also mutes any sounds or vibration feedback from calls, notifications, alarms or media. So enabling Airplane Mode before recording video with your Android device’s camera app is an effective approach.

To turn on Airplane Mode:

• Open the Quick Settings menu by swiping down from the top of your screen.
• Tap on the Airplane icon.
• Airplane Mode will now be activated, muting all audio.

Just remember to disable Airplane Mode after you finish recording to restore connectivity and sounds.

Try a Muting App

There are several apps available on the Play Store designed specifically for muting audio while filming videos with your Android device. One popular app is MuteMe Video Muter (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codeedifice.mutevideomaker&hl=en&gl=US). This application is used to mute the volume of a video and allows you to easily mute sound during recordings. It’s free, easy to use, and effective at silencing audio.

Other options like Video Mute (https://www.cyberlink.com/blog/app-video-editing/984/remove-audio-from-video-apps) also let you mute clips, remove original soundtracks, and save muted versions. The advantage of apps designed specifically for muting is that they provide advanced controls focused on that one task.

Use Earphones

Using earphones allows you to monitor audio recording on an Android smartphone while preventing the audio from being captured in the recording. The technique works by plugging headphones or earphones into the device’s 3.5mm audio jack or connecting Bluetooth headphones. With headphones connected, the sound from the microphone is sent directly to the headphones for monitoring instead of being recorded with the video. This technique is commonly used by musicians, vocalists, and interviewers to monitor themselves in real-time while recording without having the monitoring bleed into the recording.

As an example, the Playback Mic app for Android allows you to monitor audio through connected headphones or earphones without recording the output. The app specifically states “What you hear is NOT what you record!” allowing sound monitoring that is not captured in the recording. Using an app like this with headphones is an easy way to monitor audio during filming and recording without muddying your final video with monitoring bleed.

Conclusion

There are a variety of methods to mute or disable audio when recording video on Android devices. The easiest options are to mute the microphone directly in the camera app settings, use a third party camera app with audio control, or toggle on Do Not Disturb mode which will silence all sounds. Adjusting the global Android volume settings is another quick way to mute videos. More advanced options include installing a separate muting app, using earphones so the microphone doesn’t pick up any audio, or enabling Airplane mode to cut off all wireless connections and mute audio.

The best method will depend on your specific needs and preferences. The camera app settings provide the most direct control for muting just during recording. Do Not Disturb mode and lowering the system volume can mute audio more broadly. Third party camera apps give additional settings not found in the default camera. And hardware options like earphones or airplane mode ensure no audio is captured at all. Test different approaches to find the one that works best for your situation.