On about 75% of my installed apps, even with notification sounds enabled, notifications are silent. I've seen this behaviour on every iPhone I've owned up to and including my current 14 Pro Max. Removing/reinstalling the silent apps does not fix it. Toggling sounds off and back on does not fix it. How do I get apps with sounds enabled to actually play notification sounds?
iPhone 14 Pro Max, iOS 16
The 8 and 12 were new installs, not upgrades or transfers. I can't even begin to explain how little I want to waste a full day wiping and restoring my 14, especially for an issue with some apps rather than affecting the entire phone. It's not just 3rd party apps and devs either: Wallet, e.g., is dead silent.
Updating to the latest rev when this has been going on for at least four years is not a solution (I keep all my devices updated as a matter of course), nor is resetting my phone. I did the reset anyway and it buggered EVERYTHING, not just notifications. Apple's official support has never been able to answer any of my questions, which is why I posted here. We can lock this thread since it's clear nobody has any actual idea what's going on and are just regurgitating the stock answers.
Hello scarybaldguy,
You've completed some great steps to resolve the issue that you're having with hearing sound notifications. Since this issue has occurred on several of your devices, when you set them up do you restore from a backup or do you set them up as new? If they were restored from a backup, the issue could be sorted within the backup itself.
To further isolate the issue, you can create a new backup and restore your iPhone to factory settings, set it up as new and verify if the issue persists. Once the issue has been tested, you can then restore from the new backup that you created.
If you continue to experience the same behavior, you can reach out to Apple directly for further assistance:
Best wishes.
Scarybaldguy,
We completely understand your concern. In your case, we suggest that you update your iPhone to the latest software version. Completing this step is to ensure that the behavior is not related to the software.
If you're already running the latest software version or if your device continues to display the same behavior, reach out to Apple concerning this issue. They will be able to look further into this you: Get Support
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
All the best.
Scarybaldguy,
You have completed all the necessary steps in order to resolve this issue on your own. Therefore, there is an underlying issue that Apple will have to look further into in order to provide you with a resolution. Therefore, we suggest that you connect with them for further assistance: Get Support
Stay safe and well.
Some app notification sounds don't play
