Random Tri Tone Alerts, no messages

I too am having this issue. Has happened everyday for quite a few weeks now. Just this morning it has already happened 3 times. I have tried deleting a few apps, syncing, backing up, you name it, I have tried it and and still no resolution.

lyonbryon and others, it is time consuming but have you tried removing ALL your apps from Notification Center (in Settings) and setting ALL your apps to make no sounds?

If you do this and the random tri-tones stop, you then know that one of your apps is making the tri-tone happen when in notification center. Then you have to add apps back and turn on their sounds ONE at a time and figure out which app is causing the notifications.

Like I said, it's time consuming to do that but it might be your only option. Based on my experience this isn't an Apple issue, it's an issue with one of the apps in Notification Center being allowed to make noise but not allowed to let you know why it wants your attention. In other words, one of your apps probably has sounds turned on, but banners, show in lock screen and badge icons are all turned off, so the app makes the tritone sound but you have no way of knowing which app it is or why it's doing it.

That's my best guess, I hope it helps.

YES!!! Resolved!

You are completely right! Right before I saw your reply I went in my notification settings and went through all my apps and came across my Mint app, which had the banner turned off and badge turned off but the sound was on.

Then you replied and confirmed everything.

I'm fully positive this is it. When I turned off the sound and turned on the badges, I had 3 for a badge icon and that's how many false tones I have had this morning. Case closed....

THANK YOU Micah D.

I have an iPhone 4S running iOS 6.1.3. I noticed a random Tri-Tone alert for months now, with no notification, and the screen doesn't light up. But now it's gotten worse. It will do 5 to 10 alerts in a row, with no visual notifications. Several times a day. Usually in the Lock Screen, but even if I unlock it, they keep going. I checked all the apps in Notifications Settings, and all were set to Banners or Alerts, with Notification Center ON and View in Lock Screen ON. They all had Sounds ON, but none without the visual alerts ON as well.

I do not have the GMail app installed. I do have PayPal, but I don't make or receive many payments. Plus it's set to Notification Center ON, Banners, Badge App Icon ON, Sounds ON, View in Lock Screen ON.

What's going on? Please help!

Thanks!

Hi iBeing,

Bryan here! I had the same issue as you... the exact same! As well I let it go for months until it started increasing and got so bad I was about to flip on my iPhone. Thanks to Micah D above in this thread I was able to easily fix it... what a relief it was. It is a bit annoying to do (then again a few things are on the iPhone) but it is not hard. Even though you are not getting the notification and are still hearing the tri-tone alert... this will fix it!

Go to settings - Notifications... Then the tedious part... Go through all your apps in the notification and turn the sound off. Do it to all of them at first (you can always go back and turn on the ones you want later) This is just to make sure this resolves your problem! For myself, all the sounds are turned off now unless its an app I really want the sound on. As well for me, the app that was giving me no notification just sound tri-tone alerts was the Mint app, but it could easily be another for you.

Good Luck... I'm 95% this will fix your issue... so annoying... I know!

Bryan

Thank you lyonbryan,

Before you posted a reply, I went back into Notifications Settings and noticed that most apps in the section "Not in Notification Center" still had Sound ON. I turned them all off, hoping this would solve my problem. But it happened again.

After reading your reply, I turned Sound OFF on all my apps except one, and I still got the string of alerts. I have turned them all off now, and am waiting to see if it happens again. I think I may have found the offending app.

iBeing, I think you're on the right track. It's a hassle, but you need to turn the sound off on every single app that you offers the option of making sound. That way you know for sure that NONE of your apps are making that sound.

Now if the sound happens again you might have a problem with the phone.

If the sound doesn't happen again, though, you just have to start turning the sound on to your apps one at a time and wait a few hours or whatever between turning each one on. Then, when you hear the sound you'll know that the last app you turned sound on for is the one making that noise.

It's tedious, but it does work. The problem is that you shouldn't be able to have an app have sound alerts and nothing else, because then when your phone makes the sound alert you have no way of knowing which app the sound is related to since nothing else happens but the sound. They should have it set up so that if you turn off all badges, banners and lock-screen alerts for an app it automatically mutes the sound alerts as well.

I think I found the issue and somewhat of a resolve. I'm not sure but I believe that the tone is alerting that mail has been refresed or "pushed". The tone may be going off several times in a row with the push of each consecutive folders. Although there is not a setting under sounds or under notifications for this, If I set it to check mail Manually or hourly or so it will only go off then. There really should be a way to disable this alert.

delete all voicemails,

A couple years later and your post saves me. Indeed my MLB "At Bat" app had the banners alerts off and the sound on. Thanks so much for the tip!!!

Agree - I THINK this may have fixed my issue. Time will tell, though. I'll report back if it doesn't =)