What "Notifications Silenced" means and why you'd turn it off
Notifications Silenced is a setting that stops your phone from making sounds or vibrating when alerts come in, but the notifications still arrive and pile up in your notification center. You turn it off when you want your phone to actually alert you again — to make noise, vibrate, or light up your screen so you notice something important.
This setting exists because sometimes you want notifications to keep coming (so you don't miss them) but you don't want the interruption right now. You might silence notifications during a meeting, then forget to turn the sound back on. Or you might silence them for an app you don't actually care about, then realize later you do want to hear from it.
The steps to turn it off depend on what device you have and which app you're working with. The process is quick once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- Notifications Silenced means alerts still arrive but your phone won't make sound or vibration — you have to check manually to see them.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications, find the app, and turn Sound and Vibration back on.
- On Android, open Settings > Apps > Notifications, select the app, and toggle Sound back on.
- Some apps have their own notification settings inside the app itself, separate from your phone's main settings.
- If you silence notifications for Do Not Disturb mode, turning off Do Not Disturb restores sound automatically.
How to turn off silenced notifications on iPhone
Open Settings and tap Notifications. Scroll down and find the app you want to hear from again. Tap it to open its notification settings.
Look for the toggle next to "Sound" and make sure it is turned on (it will be green or blue). If you also want vibration, check that "Vibration" is on as well. Some phones let you choose which sound plays — if you see "Sounds" with a dropdown, tap it and pick a sound instead of "None".
Close Settings and go back to your home screen. The next time that app sends a notification, your phone will make noise or vibrate. If it still doesn't, check whether Do Not Disturb is turned on — that overrides individual app settings. Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen and look for the moon icon. If it's highlighted, tap it to turn Do Not Disturb off.
How to turn off silenced notifications on Android
Open Settings and go to Apps (sometimes called Applications or App Management). Find the app you want to hear from and tap it. Look for Notifications and tap that option.
You should see a toggle for "Allow notifications" — make sure it is on. Below that, look for "Sound" or "Notification sound" and tap it. If it says "None" or "Silent", tap it and choose an actual sound from the list. Some phones also have a separate "Vibration" toggle — turn that on if you want the phone to vibrate too.
Go back to your home screen. The next notification from that app will produce sound or vibration. If your phone is still silent, check whether you have Do Not Disturb or a similar mode active. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open Quick Settings, and look for Do Not Disturb or Quiet Mode. If it's on, tap it to turn it off.
Checking app-level notification settings
Some apps have their own notification controls built into the app itself, separate from your phone's settings. Even if you turn sound on in your phone's main settings, the app might still be silenced inside its own menu.
Open the app and look for Settings (usually a gear icon or three horizontal lines). Search for Notifications or Alerts. If you see options there, make sure sound is turned on. Common apps that do this include email clients, messaging apps, and social media platforms.
After you change the app's own settings, go back to your phone's main notification settings and confirm those are on too. Both layers need to allow sound for you to actually hear the notification.
Why notifications stay silenced even after you turn sound back on
The most common reason is that Do Not Disturb mode is still active. This mode silences all notifications regardless of individual app settings. Check your phone's Quick Settings (swipe down from the top) and look for Do Not Disturb, Quiet Mode, or Focus Mode. If any of these are on, tap to turn them off.
Another reason is that the app itself has sound turned off in its own settings menu. Open the app, find its Settings, and look for Notifications. Make sure sound is enabled there as well as in your phone's main settings.
If you're using a smartwatch paired with your phone, notifications might be going to the watch instead of your phone. Check your watch's notification settings and make sure it's set to alert you, or unpair the watch temporarily to see if notifications return to your phone.
Turning off silenced notifications for Do Not Disturb mode
If you silenced notifications by turning on Do Not Disturb (or Focus Mode on newer iPhones), you don't need to change individual app settings. Just turn off Do Not Disturb and all your notifications will alert you again.
On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner and tap the moon icon to turn off Do Not Disturb. On Android, swipe down twice to open Quick Settings and tap Do Not Disturb or Quiet Mode to turn it off.
Your phone will go back to its normal notification behavior when ready. If you want to silence notifications again later, you can turn Do Not Disturb back on instead of changing settings for each individual app.
Preventing notifications from getting silenced by accident
If you find yourself silencing notifications and forgetting to turn them back on, set a schedule for Do Not Disturb instead of turning it on manually. On iPhone, go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb and tap "Add Schedule". On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and set a time range. This way, your phone automatically turns sound back on when the scheduled time ends.
You can also create a Focus or Quiet Mode for specific situations — one for sleep, one for work, one for meetings. That way you silence only what you need to, and you know exactly when it will turn back on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off silenced notifications delete the notifications I missed?
No. Turning sound back on does not affect notifications that already arrived. They will still be in your notification center. You can swipe through them or open the app to see what you missed.
Can I turn off silenced notifications for just one app?
Yes. Go to your phone's notification settings, find that specific app, and turn sound back on for only that app. Other apps can stay silenced if you want them to.
What if I turn sound back on but still don't hear anything?
Check three things: Do Not Disturb mode is off, the app's own settings have sound enabled, and your phone's overall volume is not turned all the way down. Use your phone's physical volume buttons to make sure the volume is up.
Does turning off silenced notifications affect my alarm or phone calls?
No. Alarms and incoming calls use separate systems and will work even if all app notifications are silenced. Do Not Disturb mode can silence calls, but regular notification settings do not.