iPhone does not make noise when I ping it from Find My

This question is being asked again and again in various forms. After I spent 20 mins checking and double checking my settings, I just got off a chat with customer support. Turns out, Apple apparently made a design decision to vibrate without sound for the first couple of seconds. So the phone will start vibrating... again... wait for it... wait some more... finally it starts also making noise. So for people testing the feature, like me, it looked like the sound doesn't work. Go figure... The frustration out there with this design decision is real.

If your iPhone is not making any sound when you ping it from the "Find My", there are a few things you can check and try to troubleshoot the issue. Here are some potential solutions:

1. If the device is online, a sound starts after a short delay and gradually increases in volume, then plays for about two minutes. A Find My alert also appears on the device’s screen, if applicable.
2. If the device is offline, the sound plays the next time it connects to a Wi-Fi or mobile network.

If you are testing the Play Sound feature on Find My then...

1. Check Device Settings:
   1. Make sure your iPhone's sound is turned on. Check the physical side switch on your iPhone (if it has one) to ensure it is not set to silent mode. If the switch shows a red/orange stripe, your iPhone is in silent mode. Move the switch to the other position to enable sound.
   2. Check the volume level by pressing the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone. If you see the volume indicator on the screen, increase the volume to an audible level.
2. For the Find My feature to work correctly, your iPhone must have an active internet connection. Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
3. If you have another Apple device logged into the same Apple ID, try pinging your iPhone from that device to see if the issue persists.
4. Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary software glitches. Turn off your iPhone, wait for a few seconds, and then turn it back on.
   1. Restart the device. That's it.
   2. Still not solved --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
5. If the issue persists, you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. This will not erase your data but will reset all personalized settings to their default values. Go to Settings > General > Transfer & Reset > Reset > Reset All Settings and confirm the action. Note that you will need to reconfigure your settings afterward. All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, the Home screen layout, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.
   1. Reset All Settings: Return iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support:- Return iPhone settings to their defaults
   2. You can return settings to their defaults without erasing your content.
   3. If you want to save your settings, back up your iPhone before returning them to their defaults. For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem but returning settings to their defaults doesn’t help, you might want to restore your previous settings from a backup.
6. Make sure you have the latest updates installed.
   1. Update Over-the-Air (OTA) —> Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support (IN)
   2. Update using iTunes/Finder —> Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (IN)

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it is recommended to reach out to Apple Support or visit an authorized service center for further assistance. They can provide specific guidance based on your device model and iOS version.

Re: “… this isn’t rocket surgery … the phone should override the vibration mode and any volume control, and make loud noise … “

= = = = =

First … Play a Sound from FindMy DOES normally override ALL Software and Hardware switch settings.

(just tested on a ”14PM” running iOS 16.6; albeit w/o any AirPods attached)

So … if you are allowing enough time (it does initially start w/ vibrate w/ the audio building up) …

… and not moving your phone or letting it “see you” during this “sounding” process …

… your phone might appear to be malfunctioning.

Or … you might possibly have found a software bug … perhaps related to your AirPods.

OMG. The phone just vibrates for a bit. I waited and then it finally started making sound!!! How annoying. I just bought the latest watch so the older one ‘pinged’ right away with sound! Thanks for the info! I

wasted way too much time trying to figure out !🤬. Ping your phone from watch-wait for it !?

SOUND!! 🤯🙄

Focus Settings can also cause this issue?

here was my experience and resolution: My phone was automatically turning “Reading” Focus Filter to ‘ON’

when reading focus filter was on, using the find my app or watch to ring the phone would make no sound.

turning off the focus filter manually (my device I can do this in the control center) the phone would again ring when I ping it in the find my app and my watch

Thank you so much for this explanation.

After reading your post, I waited a bit and then the sound came.