I Can’t Hear Any Sound in My Apps. What Should I do?
When it comes to using mobile apps, a common problem that many people report is that they can’t hear sound in apps. In most such cases, the sound plays an essential role in the app, so not being able to hear it at all may render the app useless to the user, since it cannot fulfill the aim it was initially designed to serve. If, for example, a user has downloaded an app to play a simulated piano, then not hearing any sound would prevent the user from doing so.
More often than not, users realize that they can’t hear sound in apps when they download an app based on sound. After verifying that their device volume is on, they infer that there is something wrong with the app itself and they end up deleting or even leaving a negative review. However, you may be surprised to discover that most of the times the app is not to blame!
Device volume vs media volume
As said before, you may have turned your device volume on and still not be able to hear sound in an app. This is because most probably the media volume on your device is off. That’s right! Your device volume is different than the media volume and they need to be adjusted separately. More specifically, the device volume refers to things like the volume of your ringtone, the messages sound or the sound you hear when your battery is low. On the other hand, the media volume is responsible for the apps’ sounds, the sound in the videos you may be watching or the songs you may listen to. So, if you can’t hear any sound in any of the apps available on your device, you should check the media volume. To do so, press the volume button and then look for the slider that has a note icon (🎵) or reads “media volume”. Set the desired volume by tapping on the slider and you’re all set!
In case you still can’t hear sound in an app, check if other apps on your device work smoothly. If sound is heard clearly in other apps, check the settings of the specific app you have been facing a problem with. Some apps have an internal setting that allows you to mute the sound. Check whether this setting is enabled and if so, disable it to hear sound. If that doesn’t work either, it’s time to contact the developer!
