How to fix Apple iPhone XS Max notification alerts that play in silent mode [Troubleshooting Guide]

Notification alerts in mobile devices are designed to give us a heads-up about incoming messages, phone calls, updates, and other relevant information. The importance of notification alerts however is often realize only when important calls or messages are expected. And this is one of the reasons why notification feature can be turned on or off. All it takes is a toggle on certain switches on your phone settings. But because of random software glitches, notification functions sometimes go rogue.

Thus, some people end up having notification alerts still playing when they’re not or not playing when they should. Tackled in this post is a pertinent issue on the new iPhone XS Max device. Keep reading to learn what to do whenever you’ll bump into the same trouble with your iPhone XS Max notification alerts that still play even when in silent mode.

For owners who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common problems with this device. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance don’t hesitate to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

How to troubleshoot iPhone XS Max that still sounds off when in silent mode

Apparently, the problem is attributed to software errors most likely on the phone’s audio system. Hence, the following workarounds are also focused on the iPhone firmware and audio functions. To determine whether or not the problem is fixed, test your device after applying every method.

First solution: Force restart your iPhone XS Max.

Performing a force restart is usually recommended when dealing with system problems that caused the phone to get stuck or become unresponsive. It’s an alternative method to a soft reset and offers the same benefits when dealing with minor software issues caused by random bugs and software glitches. It basically forces the phone system to shutdown and then restart. Background apps including those that have gone rogue are also forcibly closed in the process. And here’s how it’s done:

Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
Finally, press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears.

Similar to a soft reset, a force restart does not affect any saved data on the phone memory so expect all your personal information to remain intact afterwards.

Second solution: Toggle the ringer slider and switch back and forth.

Notification alerts are silenced when your iPhone is muted but this may not always be the case especially when software glitches strike. A simple trick to clear such glitches is done by flipping the hardware mute switch off and on again. This switch is located on the left-side of your iPhone directly above the Volume Up/Down controls. So locate that switch and then flip to turn Silent Mode on. You’ll know your iPhone is in silent mode if the switch is in red position. If it’s already in silent mode, flip the switch back and forth to refresh. Just be sure to position the switch back to silent mode.

Alternatively, you can adjust the ringer and alerts control to decrease the sound level if needed. Here’s how to access and manage this setting on your iPhone XS Max:

Go to Settings.
Scroll down to and tap Sounds & Haptics.
Then drag the Ringer and Alerts slider to the left to decrease the volume level until it’s muted.

If it’s already set to the lowest level, drag the slider to the right and then back to the left or lowest volume level.

Third solution: Enable Do Not Disturb settings with no exceptions.

If you’re using Do Not Disturb feature to stop your device from pushing notification sound alerts while the screen is locked, try to review the settings for you might have set some exceptions.

Do Not Disturb is a feature which main use is to stop notifications, alerts, and calls from making any sound, vibration or lighting up the screen when the display is locked. Alarms however will still make sound or audible while Do Not Disturb is enabled.

You can turn on Do Not Disturb on your iPhone XS Max from the Control Center with these steps:

Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the phone screen to launch the Control Center.
Find that Do Not Disturb icon (crescent moon) then tap to turn the feature ON.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen or simply tap the screen to close the Control Center.

Alternatively, you can turn on Do Not Disturb through your iPhone settings with these steps:

Tap to open Settings from your Home screen.
Scroll to and select Do Not Disturb.
Toggle the switch next to Do Not Disturb to activate the feature.

When Do Not Disturb is activated, you will see a crescent moon icon on the status bar of your phone. If you didn’t set any exceptions, the effect should be applied to all notification alerts. But if you happened to set some exceptions, notification alerts sounds for certain contacts or apps will be heard. To rule this out, just turn Do Not Disturb on your iPhone Xs Max without setting some exceptions.

Fourth solution: Install the latest iOS update for your iPhone XS Max.

Should the problem be attributed to software bugs and malware, installing the latest iOS update available for your iPhone can potentially fix it. New updates usually contain fix patches to get rid of device issues from random bugs. To check for new iOS update via over-the-air, your iPhone must have access to the Internet preferably through Wi-Fi. Then follow these steps to get started:

Tap Settings from your Home screen.
Select General.
Tap Software Update.

An update notification should show up on if a new iOS version is available. Read and review the information then follow the onscreen instructions to Download and Install new update on your iPhone XS Max. After installing new update, reboot your device to apply the new system changes. Set your iPhone to mute or silence notifications and see if it’s already working as intended.

Fifth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone XS Max.

To rule out invalid configurations or incorrect settings from the underlying causes, wipe out all customized settings and restore the default values and default configurations. To do this, reset all settings on your iPhone with these steps:

Tap Settings from the Home screen.
Select General.
Scroll down and tap on Reset.
Select the option to Reset all Settings.
Enter your device passcode, when asked to proceed.
Then tap the option to confirm settings reset.

This reset does not affect any saved information on the phone, so you don’t need to create backups. Consider this an option before resorting to a master reset.

If your iPhone XS Max notifications are still not working as intended after applying the previous workarounds, then you may opt to restore your iPhone XS Max to factory defaults. A factory reset is usually regarded among the last possible solutions when dealing with persistent software issues and system errors on the phone. This reset wipes everything from the device including all saved data, downloads and other contents from the phone memory. That being said, creating backups is recommended beforehand otherwise you’ll lose critical information. On the better note, software-related errors including those affecting the phone’s notification functions are usually resolved by this reset.

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If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone XS Max smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone XS Max. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.