iPhone 8 Plus Has No Sound? Here’s How to Fix It

If your iPhone 8 Plus isn’t making any sound — no ringtones, no app audio, and not even key clicks — you’re not alone. Whether it’s a bug, a setting gone wrong, or a failing speaker, this guide will walk you through all the steps to figure out what’s going on and how to fix it.

Start Here: Test If the Speaker Works at All

Before diving into settings, we need to know if your speaker is truly dead or if it’s a software issue.

Try the following:

Have someone call you (put it on speaker).
Play music in two different apps.
Watch videos in apps like YouTube or Safari.
Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics, and move the Ringer and Alerts slider up and down.

If there’s no sound at all from any of these tests, your speaker may be faulty — and you’ll likely need Apple repair.

But if some sounds work (like through headphones or in certain apps), keep going — you can likely fix it yourself.

1. Restart Your iPhone 8

Sometimes a simple reboot clears temporary glitches.

Press and hold the Side (Power) button until the slider appears.
Drag the slider to turn it off.
After a few seconds, press and hold Side again until you see the Apple logo.

Force Restart (for frozen or unresponsive phones):

Quickly press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down.
Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

2. Check the Ring/Silent Switch

Make sure the Ring/Silent switch on the left side of the phone isn’t turned on (orange showing = silent).

Flip it off and on again. You should see a ringer notification appear on-screen.

3. Turn Off Do Not Disturb

When Do Not Disturb is on, notifications, calls, and alerts are silenced.

Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb.
Turn it off.

You can also check for the crescent moon icon in the status bar — if it’s there, Do Not Disturb is active.

4. Test Audio in Other Apps

If sound isn’t working in just one app:

Close the app: Double-click Home button > swipe up on the app.
Reopen the app.
Still no sound? Delete and reinstall the app from the App Store.

5. Check Headphones and Bluetooth

If sound only works with headphones:

Try unplugging wired headphones or disconnecting Bluetooth audio devices.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off temporarily.
Try playing a video or ringtone without headphones.

6. Check for iOS and App Updates

Bugs can be fixed with software updates.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Install any available update.

To update apps:

Open the App Store > tap your profile icon > tap Update All.

7. Try a Factory Reset

If none of the above worked, a full reset can clear deeper system bugs.

Backup your phone to iCloud or iTunes first.

Then:

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.
Set up your iPhone as new — don’t restore from backup just yet.
Test the sound.

If everything works fine, you can restore your backup afterward.

Still No Sound at All? Time for Repair

If there’s no sound from the speaker — and you’ve ruled out software issues — it could be a hardware fault. This is especially likely if:

The volume buttons don’t work or don’t show volume indicators.
No sound plays through speaker, but does through headphones.
You’ve already replaced the phone once and the issue continues (like Whitney in the example).

Contact Apple Support or visit a repair center for diagnostics and service.