It is no longer surprising that numerous problems on iOS device could arise after installing major system updates. And one of these is the no sound issue. Having a device with no sound can be hard to fix as it could be a direct indication of hardware damage. However, there are also some cases in which complex system errors are the root cause and so there’s a way to fix the problem at home. Talking about solutions, I have gathered a few effective tweaks that are utilized by many iPhone owners who have encountered the same problem on their respective iOS devices, particularly after installing a major update to iOS.
Read on to find out how to fix a no sound issue on an iPhone XS Max device after iOS 13 update. The procedures below will help you narrow down what the cause of the problem is so that you can fix it on your own, and make your device work perfectly again. So, if you’re an owner with this kind of problem, continue reading this post as you may find it helpful.
Before anything else, if you are looking for a solution to a different problem, then drop in on our iPhone XS Max Help Guides page for we have already solved some of the most common problems with this device. Try to find issues that are similar to yours and feel free to use our workarounds and solutions.
Fixing no sound issue on your iPhone Xs Max after iOS 13 update
Considering the first occurrence of the problem was after installing the iOS 13 update, there’s a higher chance that a certain software bug is the trigger. To eliminate all possible causes, try applying each of the following solutions then see which of them solves the problem.
First solution: Toggle the ring/mute switch and then restart your iPhone XS Max
Adjusting your phone’s volume level can easily be done using its physical ring/mute switch. The placement of this switch however, makes it very possible for it to be flipped unpurposely. Hence, you would just wonder how your iPhone ended up muted while it was previously set to ring mode. To make sure this isn’t the main reason why your iPhone XS Max has no sound after installing the latest iOS update, check this switch on the side of your device. If the orange line is visible, this means that your device is set to silent mode and thus all sounds are muted. If this is the case, simply flip the switch on the opposite direction. Here’s what you should do then:
- Flip the switch upward to enable Ring mode.
- Otherwise, flip the switch downward to enable Silent mode for at least 30 seconds then flip it upward again to enable the Ring mode again.
It is also recommended to reboot your iPhone afterwards. Doing so will help clear out junk files, including erratic temporary data that were stored among other cached files after the system update. You can restart or soft reset your iPhone after flipping the ringer switch. Just follow these steps:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for 2-3 seconds.
- Release both buttons when the Slide to Power Off command appears on the screen.
- Then drag the power off slider towards the right to shut off your iPhone.
- Wait for 30 seconds, and then press the Side/Power button again until the Apple logo appears.
After flipping the switch and rebooting, try to launch any sound-enabled apps to check if the audio is now working. You can also send yourself a message or call your own number to see if the message and call notifications are audible. If the no sound problem on your iPhone XS Max persists, move on to the next possible solution.
Second solution: Toggle off Attention Aware Features of Face ID
Apple’s latest iOS devices with Face ID feature like iPhone XS Max often experienced ringer issues like alarm volume or ringer that quickly decreases or fades out to the extent that it can’t be heard at all. Face ID is a facial recognition system that uses sensors displayed around iPhone’s TrueDepth camera that provides additional security by making sure that the user is indeed facing the phone before performing actions like unlocking the phone screen and adjusting the ringer and alarm volume. This feature offers two attention settings: the Require Attention for Face ID and Attention Aware Features. The latter automatically lowers down the volume level of the ringer and alarm when the user is facing the phone. To prevent your iPhone’s ringer and/or alarm volume from decreasing, simply disable the Attention Aware Features of Face ID using these steps:
- From the Home screen, select Settings.
- Tap on General.
- Select Accessibility menu.
- Tap on Face ID and Attention.
- Scroll to Attention Aware Features menu and toggle the switch to turn off the feature.
Once this feature has been disabled, your ringer and alert notifications volume will remain loud even when you are picking up or facing the phone.
Afterwards, restart (soft reset) your iPhone XS to make sure that the necessary changes were properly applied. Then check your phone if it is already producing sound when receiving calls, messages, and alarms.
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Third solution: Manage DND feature and app notifications on your iPhone XS
One of the useful features of an iOS device is the DND or Do Not Disturb feature. As the name implies, it allows you to prevent any notifications from playing on your device. You can set exceptions to turn off calls and alert notifications for selected contacts and apps. If the moon-like icon is visible at the top of your Home screen, then that means that DND is enabled and that is likely the main reason why you hear no sound coming from your iPhone. Whether you have enabled the DND feature prior to the iOS update or your phone is left on DND mode after iOS 13 due to post-update bugs and triggered your phone to produce no sound, this can be ruled out by making necessary changes to your iPhone’s DND settings. Just follow these steps:
- Go to Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap the Do Not Disturb menu.
- Toggle the switch to turn off the feature. If it is currently disabled. Tap the switch to enable it for at least 15 seconds then toggle it again to turn off the DND feature. Then soft reset your iPhone XS.
The notifications on your iPhone should then be audible again once the DND feature is disabled. You can try ringing your iPhone or send a sample message to check and see if sound outputs are already audible.
Aside from DND, also care to check and manage your app notifications. This is a must-do if the no sound problem only occurs when using a certain application. To make sure that your app notifications are not disabled, follow these steps to check and manage app notifications on your iPhone XS Max:
- From Home, launch the Settings app.
- Select the desired app/s and tap the Allow Notifications switch to turn the notifications on.
Restart your iPhone after making the necessary changes then see if that solves the no sound problem.
Fourth solution: Disconnect Bluetooth accessories from your iPhone
If your iPhone is currently paired or connected to any Bluetooth-enabled sound devices such as earphones or speakers, then the audio outputs will be routed to the Bluetooth device. Therefore, you will not hear the sound coming from your iPhone XS Max because the sound output is bypassed. To rule this out, simply disconnect the Bluetooth accessories from your iPhone using these steps:
- Head over to Settings from Home.
- Tap on Bluetooth menu.
- Toggle the Bluetooth switch to turn off the feature. Doing so will automatically disconnect third-party accessories from your iPhone XS Max.
To make sure that your phone won’t automatically connects to any Bluetooth devices, we advised users to delete all saved accessories from your phone. This can be done by heading over to Settings->Bluetooth menu and then tap on the information “i” icon next to the Bluetooth name. Then select option to confirm the deletion of the Bluetooth device/s.
Fifth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone
An automatic settings override from the recent system update can also be the underlying cause of the problem. Any values and options altered after iOS 13 may have conflicted the audio system on your phone and eventually resulted in sound problems. To clear this out, resetting all settings on your iPhone XS Max can help. Simply refer to these steps:
- From your Home screen, access Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
- Then select Reset all settings option.
- Enter your device passcode when asked to continue.
- Lastly, tap on the option to confirm the full settings reset.
After the reset, your iPhone will reboot automatically and restores the original/default settings once it is completely back on. Proceed to re-enable the features that you will be using.Then check if the no sound issue on your iPhone XS Max is now fixed.
Sixth solution: Restore iPhone XS Max to factory default settings to fix no sound issue
Deleting everything from your phone’s memory including any post-update bugs can be considered as a last option, if the previous methods failed to resolve the problem and your iPhone XS Max still has no sound. If you wish to proceed, you can factory reset your iphone through settings or use iTunes to manually erase and restore factory default settings on your iPhone XS Max on a computer. If you opt for the first method, then you can back up data from your iPhone to iCloud. Once everything is all set, follow these steps to start erasing and restoring your iPhone:
- From the Home screen, go to Settings.
- Select General.
- Scroll to and select Reset.
- Tap on Erase all content and settings option.
- When prompted, enter your device passcode then continue.
- Then tap the option to confirm the factory reset.
If you wish to use iTunes, then you can back up your data from your iPhone to your computer’s hard drive using iTunes before resetting. Just be sure to use the latest version of iTunes software to avoid bumping into some sort of system conflicts.
ALSO READ: How to fix Apple iPhone XS Max audio/no sound problem, cannot hear any sound from iPhone speaker
What to do next when the no sound problem on your iPhone XS Max persists?
If none of the given solutions worked, then this is the point when you should consider setting up an appointment for service or iPhone repair at the nearest Apple-authorized service center or contact Apple Support for further assistance. Your iPhone might have already obtained some physical or liquid damage to any of its audio components and the symptoms might just have started after installing the iOS 13 update.
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