No iPhone SMS Notification Sound

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Level 1

5 points

No iPhone SMS Notification Sound

I do not get a notification sound for SMS texts, specifically automated texts. I do get a visual notification, just no alert sound. This is very specific to SMS texts. All other alert sounds work fine including iMessage alerts, i.e. any messages from iPhones. There are no other symptoms.

I cannot find any settings that are unique to SMS/MMS. I've had this problem forever (at least a year) through multiple reboots and iOS version upgrades.

I'm looking for any ideas!

iPhone 13 Pro

Posted on Feb 10, 2023 12:33 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

justin_900

Community Specialist

Feb 12, 2023 4:56 PM in response to hoptod

Hello hoptod,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities!

We want to make sure your notifications are working as excepted.

Double check that your settings are correct with these steps:

"Manage notifications for messages

Go to Settings > Notifications > Messages.
Choose options, including the following:

Turn Allow Notifications and immediate delivery for Time Sensitive Notifications on or off.
Set the position, locations, style, and sounds for alerts.
Choose when message previews should appear on the Lock Screen, and how they should be grouped.
Set how many times to repeat an alert (from Never to 10 Times) below Customize Notifications.

See Change notification settings on iPhone."

This Apple Support page has the full details: Change message notifications on iPhone - Apple Support

Since it sounds like an issue with SMS only, are you using iOS 16.3 when this happens? If all updates are installed, please reach out to an Apple Support Advisor for further assistance: Get Support

We hope this helps so they can isolate the source of the issue.

Cheers!

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Answer 2

hoptod Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 13, 2023 8:17 AM in response to justin_900

Update: All settings and functions were reviewed by Apple techs at Genius Bar who concluded there is nothing wrong with any settings or the phone and that it may, in fact, be acting as designed. Apparently iOS now has an unconfigurable background function where it mutes alerts on devices that it does not sense as "primary" at the moment. This is most easily noticed with an Apple Watch (which I do not have). If you are wearing an Apple Watch and it is configured to alert you, your phone alert sounds will be supressed. In my case the working theory is that Apple believes I am working at my desktop computer, and suppresses the alert sound on my phone. This explanation does appear to fit the pattern, though it will require more careful observation to confirm.

It is shocking to me that in months of research I've seen absolutely nothing about this "feature." So hopefully others as confused as me will see this post.

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