When your iPhone plays notifications even when it’s set to silent mode, it means that you’re device is acting weird. Problems like this are usually triggered by software glitches that can either be minor or complex. Faulty apps, bad updates and misconfigured settings are among the common triggers. Basically, it’s a software issue which means can be dealt with by some workarounds. To give you some inputs on what to do if ever you get to encounter the same issue on your iPhone in the future, I have mapped out a few helpful workarounds and possible solutions you can try on. Read on and get help whenever needed.
How To Fix iPhone X Notifications That Play In Silent Mode
First solution: Restart your iPhone (soft reset)
Minor software glitches randomly occurs on any device and your iPhone X is not exempted. If this is the first time your device is acting this way, then you should first do a soft reset or simply restart your iPhone. It’s the simplest solution to start with. And here’s how it’s done:
- Tap to open Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Shut Down. Your iPhone will then power down.
- After 30 seconds, press the Side/Power button on the right side of your iPhone to turn it back on.
Alternatively, you can do the usual steps as follow:
- Press the Power/Side button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
- When the Slide to Power Off option appears on the screen, swipe right on the slider to turn off your device.
- After 30 seconds, press the Side/Power button again to turn it back on.
This will not affect any of your iPhone data so there’s no need to create a backup.
Second solution: Verify and configure Do Not Disturb (DND) settings
There is an option called Emergency Bypass that may possibly be tied to this issue. It is one of the Do Not Disturb (DND) options that works by allowing certain contact to bypass DND mode and thereby lets sounds, alerts and vibrations from that specific contact to get through even if DND is enabled on the iPhone. If your iPhone X plays notifications in silent mode but only for individual contacts, then this could be the root-cause. To make sure this isn’t the issue, you can check your contacts settings, then look for Emergency Bypass option. If you find this option and it’s enabled, try to disable it. Here’s how to access this menu:
- Open the Contacts or Phone app on your iPhone.
- Look for the contact and see if Emergency Bypass option is turned on for that contact.
- Tap Edit.
- Select Ringtone from the contact information.
- Look for Emergency Bypass.
- If necessary, tap the switch next to it to turn the feature OFF.
After making all changes, restart your iPhone X. Then try to see if that fixed the problem.
Third solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone X
As mentioned earlier, incorrect or misconfigured settings can also be the underlying cause of this problem. Your iPhone settings can be altered manually when you configure them or automatically, when you install a software update that automatically overrides your device settings. If the problem occurs after you manually configured your iPhone settings, then try to revert the recent changes you’ve made back to the previous configuration. But if the issue emerges after installing a new update, then you can reset all your settings instead and then configure them back to how they were previously set up prior to an update implementation. Here’s what you should do then:
- Tap to open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset all settings.
This will reset all your current settings including Wi-Fi networks, customized options and other personalized settings. But unlike a factory reset, this reset will not affect any of your personal information and data stored on the internal memory of your device. That said, creating a backup isn’t really necessary.
Fourth solution: Update to the latest iOS version
Installing the latest iOS version on your iPhone can be the key to fixing the issue if it’s caused by a system bug. Updates do contain bug fixes along with other new features and enhanced functions. So if you haven’t already, follow these steps to check for over-the-air (OTA) updates to install on your iPhone X:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
Wait for your iPhone to search for available software updates. If an update is available, it will show the current software version. Back up your data beforehand for safekeeping then tap Download to start downloading the update file. Make sure your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi to complete the download. When the download is finished, tap Install the implement the new update on your iPhone X.
After the update is installed successfully, reboot your iPhone to apply the new changes then see if the problem is gone. If not, then you may have to resort to system resets to fix any software errors that might have triggered your iPhone X to play notification sounds even when in silent mode.
Fifth solution: Reset or restore your iPhone X
Your last resort and best possible solution should all else failed to fix your iPhone X is a system reset or iOS restore. Both methods however wipe everything out from your iPhone system thus result to data loss. That being said, be sure to back up all your important data before you start the reset or restore your iPhone X.
To reset and restore your iPhone X to its factory defaults, navigate to Settings-> General-> Reset-> Erase all content and settings. When asked, enter the correct passcode for your iPhone to continue. Then tap the option to confirm iPhone reset.
Your iPhone automatically reboots when the reset is finished and you should see that everything is set back to factory defaults. Proceed with the initial device setup process to start using your iPhone again.
To restore your iPhone X to an iOS backup, you will need to use a computer with the latest version of iTunes software installed. You have the options to restore your iPhone X in recovery mode or go for a DFU mode restore. A recovery mode restore means putting your device in recovery mode and then restore iOS. Meanwhile, a DFU mode restore is the most in-depth type of iOS restore you can do on your iPhone. Putting your device in DFU mode allows it to communicate with iTunes on a computer without activating the bootloader or operating system. While in this mode, you can carry out an iOS update, iOS restore, or iOS jailbreak. The last however isn’t recommended as it can potentially brick your iPhone when done incorrectly. A complete walkthrough on how to perform a recovery mode restore and DFU mode restore on the iPhone X can be found on our iPhone X Tutorials section. Feel free to visit our Troubleshooting page for more information.
Seek more help
If your iPhone X started to act weird and play notifications even when in silent following an iOS update installation, then it might be a post-update issue inflicted by some bugs. In this case, the problem must be properly escalated to your carrier or Apple Support for a prompt fix. Post-update issues are typically dealt with by a fix patch that comes in the next software version (follow-up update). This however denotes the need for you to wait until the next update is rolled out. You can ask for other options and temporary solutions from Apple Support or your carrier then.