Why is my Messenger not making a sound?
Check Your Messenger Settings
The first step is to open the Messenger app and ensure the notification sounds are properly enabled and turned up. Here’s how to access the sound settings in the Messenger app:
On an iPhone, open Messenger and tap your profile picture in the top left. Then go to Settings > Notifications > Sounds. Make sure the Messenger notification sound is enabled and the volume slider is turned up.
On an Android device, open Messenger and tap your profile picture. Go to Notification settings and ensure “Message notifications” is enabled with the volume turned up. You can tap on the default notification sound to change it if desired (source).
The Messenger app has its own separate notification settings, so you’ll want to check there first to make sure sounds are enabled. If sounds in the Messenger app itself are turned on but you’re still not hearing notifications, the issue may be with your device’s system sound settings.
Check Your Device Settings
One of the most common reasons Messenger may not be making sounds for notifications is if your device’s notification settings have Messenger sounds disabled. Here’s how to check:
On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Messenger. Make sure “Show notifications” is enabled and “App notifications” is turned on. You can also change individual notification sounds here. Refer to Google’s Android help for more details.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Messenger. Make sure “Allow Notifications” is enabled and notification sounds/styles are turned on as you prefer. See Apple’s iPhone notification guide for more help.
Checking these device notification settings specific to the Messenger app is important, as you may have global device notifications silenced but still want Messenger sounds enabled.
Update Your Messenger App
One of the most common reasons for Messenger issues is being on an outdated version of the app. Messenger is frequently updated with new features and bug fixes, so running the latest release is recommended.
On iOS devices, open the App Store and tap your profile icon in the top right. Go to Available Updates and install any pending Messenger updates. On Android, open the Play Store, tap the hamburger menu in the top left, choose My Apps & Games > Updates, and update Messenger if available.
You can also try uninstalling and reinstalling the Messenger app completely to ensure you have the newest version. Just be sure to back up your conversations first. The update process is straightforward on both platforms – simply download the app again from the App Store or Play Store.
According to Facebook’s Messenger help page, updating to the latest release can resolve problems with sending messages, notifications, login, crashing, and more. Running an outdated version prone to bugs is a common factor behind Messenger issues, so always keep it updated.
Restart Your Device
One simple step you can try to get your Messenger alerts working again is restarting your phone, tablet, or computer. Restarting your device essentially reboots the operating system and clears out any temporary glitches that may be preventing sounds from coming through.
To restart an iPhone or iPad, press and hold the Power button until you see the “slide to power off” prompt appear. Slide it, and your device will turn off. To turn it back on, just press and hold the Power button again until you see the Apple logo. For Android devices, press and hold the Power button and tap Restart when prompted.
On a computer, click the Start menu (Windows) or Apple menu (Mac), and select Restart. Your computer will shut down and automatically boot up again after a few moments.
Restarting temporarily clears the device’s memory and resets all running apps and services. This can resolve many common software-related issues that may be interfering with your Messenger’s ability to emit notification sounds. After your phone, tablet or computer reboots, open Messenger again and see if sounds are now working.
Check Do Not Disturb Settings
One potential reason Messenger may not be making sound is if Do Not Disturb mode is enabled on your device and silencing notifications. Both iOS and Android have Do Not Disturb settings that allow you to silence notifications for specific apps or times of day.
To check if Messenger notifications are being silenced by Do Not Disturb:
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and check if Messenger is enabled under “Allow Notifications.” If it’s disabled here, you won’t hear notification sounds.
- On Android, go to Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb and check if Messenger is allowed. Toggle it on if needed.
You can also customize Do Not Disturb on both platforms to allow exceptions for important people or apps. This ensures you still get notified by Messenger when DND is on. Just add Messenger to the exceptions list.
If adjusting Do Not Disturb settings doesn’t fix the issue, it’s likely another reason Messenger has gone silent. Continue troubleshooting the app and device settings.
Use Another Device
If you are unable to get Messenger notifications or sounds working on one device, try using Messenger on another device if possible. This is an easy way to test if the issue is isolated to a particular device, or if it is your Messenger account in general that is having problems.
Download the Messenger app on another smartphone, tablet, or computer that you can access. Make sure notifications and sounds are enabled in the app settings. Then have someone send you a message. See if you receive the notification and accompanying sound as expected on the other device.
If Messenger is working properly on the secondary device, then you know the problem is limited to your original device that is having issues. This narrows down where the troubleshooting steps need to focus. You will want to dive deeper into the settings of that particular device.
However, if the sound issue persists even when using Messenger on another device, then it is likely an account-specific problem. At that point, you will want to contact Messenger support for further help getting your notification sounds functioning again across your devices.
Check Your Internet Connection
One of the most common reasons Messenger may not be making sounds is an issue with your internet or data connection. Messenger relies on an active internet connection to send and receive messages in real time. Without a stable connection, Messenger may fail to download message data like audio clips which enable sounds.
First, diagnose potential internet connectivity issues on your device. Try loading webpages or running a speed test to confirm you have an active internet connection. Restart your wifi router or toggle Airplane Mode on and off to reset the connection. If using mobile data, ensure you have a strong 4G/LTE signal and your data plan is active. Switching from wifi to mobile data or vice versa may resolve temporary network problems.
If your internet is working properly on other apps, try force closing and relaunching the Messenger app to refresh the connection. On Android, clear app cache and data as corrupted temporary files can interfere with connectivity. As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall Messenger to fully reset app data and settings (your messages will be synced on login).
If you still cannot get Messenger to connect after troubleshooting, contact your ISP or cell carrier to have them diagnose the issue. Network problems like IP conflicts, DNS errors or tower outages can cause apps like Messenger to malfunction.
Clear Cache and Data
Clearing the cache and app data for Messenger can help fix issues with missing notification sounds. Over time, the Messenger app can build up cached data that may get corrupted or cause performance issues. Wiping this data forces Messenger to start fresh, which often resolves problems.
On an iPhone or iPad, you can clear the Messenger cache by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tapping on Messenger, and then tapping “Offload App.” This will delete the app’s cache without removing the app itself. To also delete app data, tap “Delete App” instead and then reinstall Messenger from the App Store.
On Android, open your Settings app and go to Apps. Tap on Messenger, select Storage & Cache, and then tap Clear Cache and Clear Data. This removes cached files and deletes app data. The app itself will remain installed.
After clearing the cache and data, open Messenger again and check if notification sounds are working properly. Rebuilding the cache from scratch may resolve missing audio issues.
Sources:
https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/how-to-clear-messenger-cache
https://techwiser.com/how-to-clear-facebook-messenger-cache-on-iphone-and-android/
Factory Reset Your Device
As a last resort, resetting your device to factory settings may solve persistent issues with Messenger notifications not working properly. This will erase all data and settings on your device and restore it to its original state when you first purchased it.
Before factory resetting, be sure to backup any important data, photos, videos, etc. that you want to keep. You can backup data to your computer or to cloud storage services.
To factory reset an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset and choose “Erase All Content and Settings.” For Android devices, go to Settings > System > Reset options and select “Erase all data (factory reset).” You’ll need to confirm the reset on the next screen.
Once the reset is complete, you’ll have to reconfigure your device from scratch and restore your apps and data. After setup, test if Messenger notifications are now working. If the issue persists, you may need to contact Messenger support for further troubleshooting.
Source: https://drfone.wondershare.com/facebook/messenger-notification-not-working.html
Contact Messenger Support
If none of the previous troubleshooting steps resolve the issue with Messenger sounds not working, it’s time to reach out to the official Facebook Messenger support team for further assistance.
The main way to get help directly from Facebook is through the Messenger Help Center. Here you can browse help articles or use the search bar to find solutions for common Messenger problems.
Additionally, you can contact the Messenger team via email at [email protected]. Be sure to provide details on the issue you’re experiencing, the troubleshooting steps attempted, and any screenshots or error messages.
For urgent help, consider reaching out to Facebook Messenger on Twitter at @Messenger. The team is quite responsive there.
As a last resort, you may want to explore Facebook’s general customer support options if the Messenger-specific channels don’t resolve your sounds problem promptly.
With Facebook’s resources and responsive support teams, most Messenger issues can be quickly diagnosed and fixed. Reach out to them if basic troubleshooting doesn’t get your app’s sounds working again.
