Fix iPhone Text Notification Not Working Issue

Is your iPhone not making any sound when you receive a text message? Many users of iPhone are experiencing this issue and they are not sure why? Normally, when you receive a text or a message, your iPhone will alert you of the incoming notification with a sound alert, an on-screen alert or a vibration alert.

In this article, we’ll explain the probable causes of this issue and how to fix them.

How to Fix iPhone Notification Sound Not Working Problem

1. Check the Volume Level of your iPhone

If your iPhone volume is set to lower level, you may not hear the sound of the incoming alert. Check the volume level by pressing the Volume Up and Volume Down button. If the volume level is low, increase it by pressing the Volume Up key several times. See if that fixes the issue. If not, proceed with the next method.

2. Check Ring/Silent switch Mode

Check the Ring/Silent switch on the left side of your iPhone. This switch allows you to set your iPhone to Ring or Silent mode. If the switch shows orange, your iPhone is set to silent and therefore sound is off. To hear sound, you need to set your iPhone to Ring mode. To do so, adjust the switch so that orange isn’t showing. You can also do this from the settings app. To do so, go to Settings > Sounds > Ringer and Alerts > turn it ON. And move the volume slider to high.

3. Check Text Tone for Messages

Check if sound alert is enabled for messages from the Sounds and Vibration Patterns section. To do so, go to Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics or Sounds (earlier models).

Tap Text Tone, then do one of the following:

  • Tap Vibration, then choose an option.
  • Tap a sound below Alert Tones.

4. Enable Sound Alert for Specific App

You may not hear alert from a certain app if sound notification for that app is turned off. To enable sound alert notification for an app, follow these steps.

  • Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  • Tap Notifications.
  • Select the app for which you want to get a sound alert.
  • Turn Allow Notifications to On
  • Toggle Sounds switch to On

5. Enable Notifications for Messages

To enable notification for Messages, go to Settings > Notifications > Messages. Choose the following options:

  • Turn Allow Notifications to on if it’s not already.
  • Choose the alert sound for message notifications.

6. Turn Off Do Not Disturb

If you have Do Not Disturb turned on, then all incoming alerts will be silenced and you’ll not hear any sound. Check this by going to Settings > Do Not Disturb. If it is set to “On“, turn it “Off“.

If you have Do Not Disturb enabled for individual contact, you can turn it off. To do so, follow these steps.

  • Open Messages App
  • Select the conversation and swipe left for which you want to turn off Do Not Disturb.
  • Tap Show Alerts.

Now you’ll receive notifications from this specific contact again.

7. Turn Bluetooth Off

Check if your iPhone is connected to other Bluetooth enabled sound device. Sometimes audio outputs from your iPhone may be routed to the Bluetooth device that it’s connected to and therefore, you may not hear the incoming alerts on your iPhone speaker. To make sure, this is not causing the issue, try turning off Bluetooth on your iPhone.

To do so, Tap Settings > Bluetooth > Turn off Bluetooth.

This will disable Bluetooth functions on your iPhone.

8. Reset your iPhone

If the above solutions do not solve the problem, try resetting your iPhone. Resetting your iPhone will reset all device settings and any changes that may have occurred causing the issue. To do so, follow these steps.

  • Open Settings app
  • Select General
  • Tap on Reset
  • Select Reset all settings
  • Enter your passcode if prompted
  • Confirm to reset all settings on your iPhone

Your iPhone will reset the settings and then restart when done. Check if the issue is resolved. If not proceed with the next method.

9. Factory Restore your iPhone

This is the last resort you can try if the above methods don’t work. Ensure to back up all your important files and data before proceeding because doing so will delete all your files in the process. To factory reset your iPhone, follow the steps below.

  • Open Settings app
  • Tap General
  • Tap Reset
  • Select Erase all content and settings
  • Enter your passcode if prompted
  • Confirm to Erase your device and restore to its factory defaults

Your iPhone will now proceed to erase all data and restore to its factory settings.

We hope the above solutions will help you to fix the sound notification issue on your iPhone. However, if the fixes fail, you should consider contacting Apple’s customer support or visit the nearest Apple center.