How do I turn on system sounds on Android?

What are system sounds?

System sounds on Android refer to the various audio feedback your phone makes in response to different actions and alerts. They provide audible confirmation when you interact with the touchscreen, get notifications, connect a charger, and more.

Some common Android system sounds include:

Keyboard clicks and dial pad tones when typing

Charging sounds when plugging in a charger
Lock and unlock sounds when turning the screen on or off
Notification tones for messages, emails, calendar alerts, etc.

Alarms and ringtones
Touch sounds when tapping buttons or icons

These feedback sounds are meant to provide a more intuitive user experience. Without them, basic tasks like typing, navigating menus, and responding to notifications would feel disconnected.

Why Turn On System Sounds?

There are several good reasons to turn on system sounds on your Android phone:

Provides Audio Feedback – System sounds give you audible confirmation when you perform actions like tapping buttons, adjusting volume, locking the screen, charging the device, and more. This audio feedback lets you know your actions were registered without having to look at the screen.

Helps Accessibility – For users with limited vision, turning on system sounds can make navigating the phone much easier by providing audio cues. It helps compensate for the lack of visual feedback.

Makes Using Phone More Satisfying – Many users find that system sounds add a pleasing dimension to the user experience. Little audible flourishes like unlock sounds and keyboard clicks add personality and make using the device more fun and satisfying.

So if you want clear feedback, easier accessibility, and a more enjoyable experience, be sure to turn on your Android system sounds.

Check If System Sounds Are Enabled

To check if system sounds are enabled on your Android device, go to Settings and tap on Sound & vibration. Under System section, look for the System sounds option. If the toggle next to it is enabled with a blue highlight, it means system sounds are currently turned on. If the toggle is grayed out, system sounds are disabled.

Specifically, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > System sounds on your Android device. If the toggle is enabled, system sounds are turned on. If it is disabled, you will need to enable it to turn on system sounds.

Some Android devices may vary slightly, but generally look under Sound & vibration or Sound settings, and find the System sounds option to check or toggle system sounds on or off.

Enable or disable system sounds

The simplest way to turn system sounds on or off is to toggle the System sounds setting. Here’s how:

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Tap Sound & vibration (or Sound on some devices).
Toggle the switch next to System sounds to the on or off position.

When switched on, your device will play sounds for notifications, screen touches, charging connection, dial pad touches, and other system interactions. Turning off system sounds will mute these audio cues.

You can also customize system sounds like your default notification sound. Just tap on the System sound option to change individual sounds.

If system sounds are stuck off even when toggled on, try rebooting your device or checking for any accessibility services that might be interfering.

Change specific system sounds

You can change individual system sounds, like touch sounds, screen locking sounds, charging sounds, and more. Here’s how:

Go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Advanced sound settings. This screen allows you to control specific system sounds.

Touch sounds – These are sounds that play when you tap buttons, icons, and other UI elements on the screen. You can change the sound or mute touch sounds here.

Screen locking sounds – Control sounds when locking or unlocking the screen. Choose a sound effect or mute.

Charging sounds – Manage charging noises and alerts. Pick a sound clip or disable charging sounds.

Keyboard sounds – Change the tap sounds when typing on the keyboard. Select a sound effect or mute.

By going into these individual sound menus, you can pick and choose which system sounds to keep, replace with another built-in sound, or mute entirely. This grants you granular control over the audio experience.

You can also change vibration feedback in addition to sounds. Disable haptic feedback for interactions you find annoying.

Customizing specific system sounds allows you to tailor the experience to your preferences. Turn off unwanted noises or enhance sounds you enjoy.

Adjust system sound volume

To adjust the volume for system sounds like ringtones, notifications, and alerts, you can use the system volume slider in your Settings app:

Go to Settings > Sound & vibration; Drag System volume slider. This will control the volume for any sounds that come from your phone’s operating system.

Drag the slider to the right to increase the volume, or to the left to lower it. You can also tap the icons on the left and right of the slider to adjust the volume more precisely.

Keep in mind that media sounds from apps and music are controlled separately. Adjusting the system volume will not affect those. You can control media volume from the volume buttons on your phone when playing audio.

Use do not disturb mode

One of the easiest ways to mute system sounds on Android is to enable Do Not Disturb mode. This feature allows you to schedule specific times when you want to turn off all sounds and notifications.

To enable Do Not Disturb on Android:

Open Settings and go to Sound & vibration (or Notifications on some devices).
Tap on Do Not Disturb.
Toggle on Enable Do Not Disturb to turn it on.

Tap on Schedules to set specific times when DND should automatically turn on, like at night when you’re sleeping.

You can allow exceptions in Do Not Disturb mode for contacts you want to still hear from. Go to Exceptions under Do Not Disturb settings and add any contacts you want to allow calls or messages from.

Enabling Do Not Disturb is the easiest way to mute all system sounds during set times or events. Just schedule the mute periods when you don’t want to hear any alerts or noises from your Android device.

Use mute switch

Many Android devices have a physical mute switch that allows you to quickly mute or unmute sounds. The mute switch is usually located on the side of the device. When flipped, it will mute sounds like ringtones, notifications, media playback, and system sounds.

To mute system sounds using the mute switch:

Locate the mute switch on the side of your Android device. It is usually near the volume buttons.

Flip the switch so it is in the muted position. An orange or red color on the switch often indicates mute is active.
System sounds from actions like tapping buttons will now be muted.

Flipping the mute switch back will re-enable your system sounds. The mute switch provides a quick way to mute sounds without having to dig into your Android’s settings. However, it mutes all sounds globally, so you cannot selectively mute system sounds only. It is best used when you need to briefly mute all audio from your device.

Try a silent mode app

If the system sound settings aren’t working as expected, you can try downloading an app to better control when to mute sounds.

There are several apps on the Play Store that offer quick toggles between silent, vibrate, and sound modes. Some popular options include:

Silent Mode Toggle – Allows switching between modes from a home screen widget.

Silent Mode – Flips the phone to silence/unsilence automatically.

These apps provide customizable rules, so you can set system sounds to mute during certain times or events. For example, you could configure sound to mute during nighttime hours or calendar appointments.

The benefits of using a third-party silent mode app include easier access to sound toggles and more granular control over muting system sounds.

Factory reset if sounds still don’t work

If none of the previous troubleshooting steps have enabled your system sounds, performing a factory reset may resolve the issue. A factory reset will erase all data and settings and restore your device to its original software configuration.

Before factory resetting, be sure to backup any important data, photos, videos, etc. that you want to keep. You can backup to the cloud using your Google account or to a computer via USB cable.

To factory reset, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). Tap Reset phone and then Erase everything. Your device will reboot into the setup wizard – follow the on-screen instructions to set up your device again.

Once the reset is complete and you’ve gone through the setup process, test your system sounds again. They should be restored to the original default sounds and volumes. If you had custom ringtones or notification sounds set up before, you’ll need to reconfigure those.

As a last resort, a factory reset reverts your software back to a clean slate, which should enable any system sounds that were previously not working. Just be sure to backup your data first.