Silent switch randomly turns on - iPhone 12 Pro Max

I have the iPhone 12 mini and have the same problem. I do not have a flexible case and it is happening in spite of a rigid case. Mine is a military grade case with a cover over the mute toggle switch. But I continue to find it constantly being turned to mute.

I have not read anything from Apple in some suggestions for this flawed toggle switch, even though this is an Apple sounding board.

Any ideas, Apple?

I have the same issue with my IPhone 11 Pro. Every time I check, the mute button it has switched itself on. I’m not even sure this is happening when going in and out of pockets - just seem random. I am now missing emergency pager messages so this is a big issue for me. Anyone got a fix?

Same problem only 4 times so far but weird. I have do not disturb settings on but if software can not move the switch it must move by rubbing something . I have an apple case and tried to move the switch inadvertently but I couldn’t. It takes a fingernail to move the switch with some difficulty. I have a difficulty believing it gets turned on or off accidentally. Does Apple say that there is no way that this switch can move unless done physically.

Gently move the top left corner (the one closest to the silent mode switch) slightly up and away from the corner with your thumbs. It will slide off enough to flip the switch. It does not take a lot of effort to get it to move. The Apple cases do not wrap around over the glass at all so they can easily slide off the corner enough to toggle the switch.

I just got an IPhone 11 and the same thing happened to me , I don’t even have a case on it cause I just bought it refurbished. But I am sure that I am not actively changing it! It happened now 4 times to me as well - has it happened to you again? Did you find a solution? Thanks

Thanks for the suggestion. However, my biggest problem was that I never knew that it was off until I realized that I was missing things. I bought a new (harder) case, and the problem has not happened again. (In other words, it turned out not to be an iPhone problem but an ‘Otter case’ problem.)

I just got off chat with Apple. After wanting pictures of the case and not knowing how I should send it, they said return the case. It was Amazon and return date is over with. I told them that I should contact Amazon and tell them that Apple said they had to take the case back? (BRB). They said go to an Apple store and tell them to look at it. Then I was disconnected. After 40 yrs with Apple.. not happy. I'll drive to the store, a fair jaunt here in Maine and wonder if they'll be any better. $45 case.. geesh. I can thumb the corner of the case and turn the switch off with just a flick. It's frustrating to be checking to see if red is showing on the switch all the time. Guess I'll try a visit to the Maine Mall this week.

Called Apple again. Last word on this is that they'll tell their engineers about it but a replacement is not possible as it's not broken. I tried to tell them the design of the case was flawed but they still said no luck. I will now try to cut into the switch area with a razor knife to see if I can stop it from turning off the ringer switch then do a youtube vid on how to manage that if it works. I will also warn people to look elsewhere for a case and shy away from the soft apple one. Too bad. I like the case.

On the phone I asked them about this. They said that since I purchased it on Amazon (from apple) that the Apple store wouldn't allow that. I may still try, but I'm thinking they are right. We only have one Apple store in Maine. Fortunately it's only about 40 miles away from me in a state that's 400 miles long. And, it's about a month beyond Amazon's return policy time.

This is such a bizarre issue—a mechanical switch that seems to move by itself. Maybe it does have something to do w/the silicone case (and shoving it into my pocket), as some have posited, but honestly I don’t see how—I cannot replicate that intentionally, and I’ve tried. And oddly enough, the switch never moves from silent to on, just on to silent, VERY thankfully.

Overall, I’m not that upset about the muting, and have not yet missed calls. Almost more a feature than a bug. It just seems so implausible that this mechanical switch is constantly switching itself to silent. Haunted indeed.

I agree that the case is the problem and I bought the apple case from Amazon and posted on Amazon the case is great but it inadvertently turns the silent mode on when you put it in your pocket or when you move a certain way and then you have missed calls, I took my finger and slid it over the case at the switch area and it does turn it off, it will not turn it on due to the force would have to be from the back of the case and not the front. Keeping the case and just checking it daily is what I will do if I had a business and did not want to miss calls I would get a new hard case as other people have done. I hope Apple engineers fix this some how as I love the feel and looks of the soft case.

On the Apple soft case, just cut off the little bridge of silcon that is turning the switch to silent. The case still works, still looks and feels good, but can no longer move the switch. I did it 3 months ago - no problem since.

I have the same problem and have been able to replicate turning the switch off with the edge of the soft Apple case. Earlier I'd been trying to see if just digging a finger into the switch opening, as I might do trying to turn off an alarm with the phone in a pocket, would turn it off. I was never able to get that to happen. Reading about others' suspecting the soft Apple case I tried that and I am able to easily push the inside/front edge of the case against the switch and silently switch it off. If I'm not looking directly at the screen or the switch at the time I likely wouldn't notice that it's off. -- I have not had the issue of the sound turning ON when I wanted it silent. --- I am curious how it worked to cut a small chunk out of the case. Is that preventing inadvertently switching off? Does it ruin the case? Will Apple give money back for other customers who bought the case?