How to Turn Off Silent Mode on iPhone

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Learn to turn off silent mode using the button on your phone or AssistiveTouch

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: December 6, 2024 Fact Checked

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Using Physical Buttons

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Using AssistiveTouch

Do you need to turn off Silent mode on your iPhone? There are two ways you can do this including using the physical buttons on your phone and creating an AssistiveTouch function. This wikiHow article teaches you how to turn off Silent mode on any iPhone, including iPhone X, 11, 12, and 13.

Turning Off Silent Mode on Your iPhone

To turn off silent mode, look for the switch right above the volume buttons on the left side of your phone. Flip this switch so the orange isn’t showing.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Physical Buttons

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1
Flip the switch so the orange isn't showing. You'll find this switch above your volume keys. As long as you don't see orange, Silent mode is off and your phone will ring like normal.^{[1]
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- If you see the orange part of the switch, Silent mode is on and your phone won't ring.
Go to Settings > Sound & Haptics" or Settings > Sound to change if your phone vibrates while in Silent mode.^{[2]
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3
Enable or disable "Change with Buttons" to change your ringtone and alert sound levels. If, for example, you don't have a ringtone selected, turning off Silent mode will not make your phone ring.
- You can also set ringtones, vibrations, and other sounds in Settings > Sounds & Haptics or Settings > Sounds.^{[3]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using AssistiveTouch

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This app icon features gears on a light grey background.^{[4]
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You may need to scroll down the menu to see this option next to an icon of a person inside a circle.^{[5]
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It's under the "Physical And Motor" header next to an icon of a finger.^{[6]
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4
Tap AssistiveTouch and tap the switch to toggle it on
. A green switch will indicate that the feature is enabled. When you turn on AssistiveTouch, a grey dot will appear on your screen that you will be able to tap for more options, like turning on or off Silent mode.^{[7]
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- Alternatively, you can say "Hey Siri, turn on AssistiveTouch" and skip a few steps that go through menus.
This will open up the AssistiveTouch menu.
It's the icon that looks like your iPhone.
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Tap Mute/Unmute. This is next to a bell icon that either has a line through it or not, depending on if your phone is currently muted. You should see a "Silent Mode Off/On" notification at the top of your screen that confirms your choice in the AssistiveTouch menu.
- Since the AssistiveTouch menu option overrides the physical button, your phone can get confused if you use both. If you're in doubt, restart your phone.
- If you're using at least iOS 14, you can set AssistiveTouch so you can tap the back of your phone to turn off Silent mode. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap to do so.
- Older iPhones (those not running iOS 14) can instead enable a tap, a double-tap, or a long press on the AssistiveTouch icon to enable and disable Silent mode. To set this up, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch and select either "Single-tap", "Double-tap", or "Long Press." Finally, select Mute to indicate that the shortcut should silence your phone.