whoknows7

Q: iPhone 4 not vibrating at all

So my phone isn't vibrating at all for calls or sms on either loud or silent. Vibrate is enabled in settings for both. Am I doing something wrong here? Any suggestions? How long do we think it will be before I can get a replacement?

Windows 7

Posted on Jun 24, 2010 9:41 PM

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Q: iPhone 4 not vibrating at all

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  • by jlat96,

    jlat96 jlat96 Jun 24, 2010 9:44 PM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 24, 2010 9:44 PM in response to whoknows7
    i heard all you have to do is call apple and live with the phone until your new phone gets there and just send your old one after you receive the new one. apple says they have lots of replacements
  • by whoknows7,

    whoknows7 whoknows7 Jun 25, 2010 12:02 AM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 25, 2010 12:02 AM in response to whoknows7
    Interesting. I wonder if it will be a white box refurb or a new one? Oh well, do you know which number I should call? Just the 800-MY-APPLE or the 800-MY-IPHONE? Or is there some special number I should call?
  • by mrshinyteeth,Helpful

    mrshinyteeth mrshinyteeth Jun 25, 2010 2:23 AM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 25, 2010 2:23 AM in response to whoknows7
    I had the same problem.

    Looking at the iFixit dissection of the iPhone 4, the vibration motor is in the top right hand side of the phone when looking at the rear surface. It is right next to the headphone socket. Reading other forums, it could be that the motor is jammed or stuck.

    What I did was this:

    Enable vibrate in both modes
    Download a free vibrating app like "iBrate"
    Activate vibration via the app
    Gently tap the area where the vibration motor is and it kind of wakes up if that makes sense
    It will stutter and come on and off but after a while it becomes a bit more regular

    I also exercised the motor by leaving the vibrate on via the app for a few mins to get it going

    I hope that helps as it has for me. I realised the problem last night and since the last hour it has been spot on.

    Worst case is to get Apple to check it out as it has 12month warranty.
  • by xjam431,

    xjam431 xjam431 Jun 25, 2010 11:24 AM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 25, 2010 11:24 AM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Excellent work, mrshinyteeth. I was having the same trouble with my new iPhone4 vibrate mode and this solved it. I thought it was software related, but after a couple moderate taps in that location it got the motor loose and moving again.


    Thanks again
  • by RKelly,

    RKelly RKelly Jun 25, 2010 5:04 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 25, 2010 5:04 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Worked for me too.
  • by whoknows7,

    whoknows7 whoknows7 Jun 25, 2010 10:35 PM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 25, 2010 10:35 PM in response to whoknows7
    The tapping trick didn't work for me, but I took it back to at&t and got a new one after a bit of a struggle.
  • by arj9,

    arj9 arj9 Jun 30, 2010 5:21 AM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 30, 2010 5:21 AM in response to whoknows7
    great this worked for me too! Cheers
  • by computerwhiz10,

    computerwhiz10 computerwhiz10 Jun 30, 2010 9:02 AM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 30, 2010 9:02 AM in response to whoknows7
    thanks! worked for me! now the question is how long does it last until it starts acting up again?
  • by shengeric,

    shengeric shengeric Jul 16, 2010 11:58 AM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 16, 2010 11:58 AM in response to mrshinyteeth
    holy crap man! i wanna thank you! ive been stuck for days trying to get my iphone to vibrate. i downloaded the app, i listened to it carefully (when vibrate wasnt working) i heard clicking probably indicating that the vibrator was stuck. i didnt exactly tap the area you recommended. i smacked it against my palm then it unjammed it. when people were suggesting smacking the iphone, i was really sketchy because i didnt wanna break an expensive piece of electronic. But all in all thanks dude, really made my day!
  • by Inksp0t,

    Inksp0t Inksp0t Jul 16, 2010 12:07 PM in response to shengeric
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 16, 2010 12:07 PM in response to shengeric
    I might be missing something here but I really dont expect to have to thump my new piece of tech to get it to vibrate!!
  • by socceryo3,

    socceryo3 socceryo3 Jul 19, 2010 4:03 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 19, 2010 4:03 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    I was able to get mine unstuck as well by following your method. I could hear a clicking when I held it up to my ear when running the iBrate app, and I had been trying every now and then for a few hours by hitting the backside against my palm and my knuckles (not hard enough to hurt), but no luck. Then I decided to hit a little bit harder, and when I hit the left top side of the phone against my palm it immediately started vibrating like it should, and is still working.
  • by mevvan,

    mevvan mevvan Aug 1, 2010 1:01 PM in response to whoknows7
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2010 1:01 PM in response to whoknows7
    I bought my iphone 4 on friday the 30/7. And now i see i got the same problem as you guys. It works for like 5 minutes when i "hit" it. I am really mad and the phones in Sweden is sold out. How do iphone replace the phone Can i keep it until the new phone arrives ?
  • by PKMousie,

    PKMousie PKMousie Aug 2, 2010 4:16 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 2, 2010 4:16 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    mrshinyteeth's fix worked for me as well...

    I installed iBrate, turned it on constant vibration, then smacked my phone a couple times. It started buzzing again! The vibrating was a little intermittent at first, but has smoothed out, and now seems to be fixed. Like others, I'm wondering if this is a problem that will come back later. I've missed a number of calls because of it.

    Then again, I don't relish the idea of a refurb replacement.
  • by KarlOjisan,

    KarlOjisan KarlOjisan Aug 6, 2010 5:41 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 6, 2010 5:41 PM in response to mrshinyteeth
    Hi, just another person with the same issue and the same successful cure! I downloaded the iBrate vibration app for free and double tapped the screen to get a constant vibration. I listened carefully near the headphone jack and heard the small clicking sound you described. As others have mentioned, it felt sketchy whacking my phone, but after 4 or 5 good whacks on my palm it rolled into action. The vibrate works fine now! Excellent problem solving! Thanks.
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