Why do my calendar alerts not sound?
Many of us rely on calendar alerts and notifications to keep our schedules organized and ensure we don’t miss important appointments or events. However, some users experience issues where their calendar alerts fail to make any sounds as expected. This prevents the alerts from properly notifying you and can lead to missed meetings or appointments if you aren’t checking your calendar manually. This article explores potential reasons why your calendar alerts and notification sounds may not be working properly, and provides troubleshooting tips to help resolve the issue.
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Check Notification Settings
The first step is to go through your device and calendar app notification settings to ensure alerts are enabled for the calendar. On an iPhone, open the Settings app, then go to Notifications > Calendar and make sure “Allow Notifications” is toggled on [1]. For Android devices, open the Calendar app, tap the 3-dot menu in the top right, choose Settings then make sure notifications are enabled [2]. On Windows 10, open the Notifications & Actions settings pane, find Calendar in the list of apps and confirm notifications are turned on [3]. Going through notification settings for both the OS and calendar app is an important first troubleshooting step.
Check Do Not Disturb
One common reason calendar alerts may not sound is if Do Not Disturb mode is enabled on your device. Do Not Disturb blocks sounds and vibrations from notifications, so calendar alerts will be silenced.
To check if Do Not Disturb is enabled, open the Settings app and go to Focus. Here you can see if Do Not Disturb is turned on. You can also swipe down from the top right of the screen to open Control Center – if you see a moon icon, Do Not Disturb is on.
Go into Do Not Disturb settings and make sure that Calendar is not listed under “Silence” or “Allow Notifications From.” If Calendar is selected under “Allow,” your calendar alerts should still notify you.
Disable Do Not Disturb and test if your calendar alerts now make sounds as expected. If enabling notifications doesn’t fix it, your calendar app or alert settings may need to be adjusted.
For more information, see this helpful guide: Calendar Reminders don’t override Do Not Disturb
Update App
Make sure the Calendar app is updated to the latest version. Apple releases periodic updates to fix bugs and improve performance. According to a forum discussion, some users found calendar alerts were not working properly until they updated to the latest iOS version.
On an iPhone or iPad, go to the App Store and tap your profile icon in the top right. Then select “Available Updates” to see if any updates are pending for Calendar or iOS. Install any available updates. This will ensure you’re running the most current version of Calendar with the latest fixes.
You can also try updating your Calendar app on Android. Open the Play Store app, tap the hamburger menu in the top left, choose “My Apps & Games”, then select “Updates” to see pending updates. Install any available Calendar updates.
Updating the app may resolve intermittent alert issues caused by bugs in older versions. After updating, test your calendar alerts again to see if the problem is fixed.
Restart Your Device
A simple restart can often resolve temporary software glitches that may be preventing your calendar alerts from sounding properly. According to an Apple user discussion, restarting your iPhone after a software update has fixed missing calendar notifications for many users. Restarting your Android device was also recommended in a Google Pixel user thread about calendar alerts not making sounds.
Restarting your device essentially refreshes the operating system and clears any minor bugs that may be disrupting calendar alerts. It’s a quick and easy step to try before investigating other potential issues. Make sure to back up any important data first, then power off your phone completely and turn it back on. Once restarted, check if your calendar alerts are now sounding as expected. If not, you can move on to other troubleshooting methods.
Check Alert Overrides
One possibility is that individual calendar events have overridden the default alert settings. Both the Google Calendar and Apple Calendar apps allow you to customize alerts for each event.
When creating an event, make sure the “Alert” or “Reminders” section does not have options like “None” or “Override default” selected. You want it to either be blank to use the default alert settings, or have specific alerts enabled.
To check for alert overrides in Google Calendar, open the event details and look under “Reminders.” Make sure “Use default” is selected, or check that specific reminder times are entered. According to the Google Calendar API documentation, you can override defaults by setting “reminders.useDefault” to false.
Similarly, when creating an event in Apple Calendar, look under “Alert.” Make sure “None” is not selected. The alerts should either be blank or have a specific time entered. As noted in an Apple support thread, having “None” selected can override all alerts.
Reviewing the alert settings for each individual event can help determine if they are disabling alerts that would normally sound.
Change Alert Sounds
One of the most common reasons calendar alerts may not sound is if the selected alert sound is not loud or distinct enough to be heard. Try changing the alert sound in case the current one isn’t audible enough to get your attention.
On an iPhone, open the Settings app and go to Sounds & Haptics > Calendar Alerts. Tap on the current alert sound and select a new one from the list. Choose a loud and unique sound that will stand out when it plays. You can also tap each sound to preview it before selecting. According to WikiHow, changing the alert sound is often an effective fix for inaudible calendar alerts on iPhones.
On Android devices, open the Calendar app and tap the menu icon in the top left. Go to Settings > General > Notifications > Sound and select a new alert sound. Pick one that is sufficiently loud and different from your other notification sounds. Google’s support page recommends trying a more distinctive notification sound if your calendar alerts are not being heard.
Testing a few different sounds may be needed to find one that consistently alerts you to upcoming calendar events and appointments. An unusually loud or shrill sound can help cut through background noise or inattention.
Check Connectivity
If you notice your calendar alerts are inconsistent or not going off at all, it could be due to a connectivity issue. Make sure your device has a strong WiFi or cellular signal by checking the signal strength icon in the status bar. A weak connection can prevent calendar alerts from syncing properly across devices.
Additionally, make sure your device’s volume is turned up and volume limiting or Do Not Disturb are not enabled, as these can prevent calendar alerts from making a sound. If you have your device paired to Bluetooth speakers or headphones, ensure those are powered on and connected as calendar alerts will try to sound through the most recently connected audio output.
You can test connectivity by toggling Airplane Mode on and off to reset all radios, or try deleting the calendar account and re-adding it to force a full re-sync. If connectivity issues persist across apps, you may need to restart your device or troubleshoot with your wireless carrier.
Test Speakers
The most obvious reason calendar alerts may not sound is if the speaker hardware on your device is not functioning properly. To test the speaker hardware:
Go to Settings > Sound and increase the media and alarm volume sliders. If you cannot hear sound, the speaker hardware may have an issue.1 You can also go to the Phone app and dial *#0*# to open a diagnostic menu. Select “Speaker” to run a speaker test and confirm you can hear tones.2
If the speaker is not working at all, this likely indicates a hardware problem that will require repair or replacement of the device. Contact the device manufacturer or a repair shop for assistance. A muffled or low volume speaker may just need to be cleared of debris.
Contact Support
If none of the above troubleshooting steps resolve the issue with missing calendar alerts and notifications, it’s best to contact the app developer’s support team for further assistance. The app developers may be able to diagnose any bugs causing alerts not to sound properly.
For the Apple Calendar app on iOS or macOS, visit Apple Support and select Contact Support to speak with an Apple advisor by phone or chat. You can also post on the Apple Calendar community forums to get help from other users.
For Google Calendar on Android, iOS or the web, visit the Google Calendar Help Center and click Contact Us to reach out to Google’s support team. You can also post in the Google Calendar Help Community.
The app support teams may be able to resolve permissions issues, identify software bugs, or suggest specific settings to change that could address problems with missing calendar alerts. Contact them if you’ve tried all other troubleshooting without success.