7 Best Ways to Fix iPhone Not Vibrating in Silent Mode

Is your iPhone not vibrating in silent mode? No need to fret, I’m here to help!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the most effective solutions to fix this issue on your iPhone. We’ll start with basic settings checks and progress to more advanced troubleshooting to ensure your phone’s vibration feature works as expected.

Let’s dive in!

1. Check Your iPhone’s Ring/Silent Switch

First, confirm the current sound mode of your iPhone.

For models with a ring/silent switch, ensure it’s set to silent. You’ll see an orange strip when it’s in this mode.

ringer switch

For the iPhone 15 series, use the action button to toggle between sound modes. 

Action button

Related: How to Fix iPhone That Keeps Switching to Silent Mode


2. Enable ‘System Haptics’ Setting

System Haptics on your iPhone creates a tactile response during screen interactions. If this feature is off, it might stop your iPhone from vibrating in silent mode.

To turn it on:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Select Sounds & Haptics.
  3. Enable System Haptics.
Sound & Haptics

Related: 10 Ways to Fix iPhone Not Ringing


3. Check ‘Accessibility’ Options

If System haptics is enabled, check your accessibility options to ensure that “vibration” is enabled. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. On your iPhone, tap on the Settings app to open it. 
  2. Now, go to Accessibility > Touch
Touch Accessibility
  1. Look for Vibration and enable it. 
iphone not vibrating in silent

Related: How to Fix Ringer Volume Too Low or Fades on iPhone 


4. Check ‘Silent Mode’ Settings

Once you’ve confirmed that both ‘Vibration’ and ‘System Haptics’ are active, check if vibration is permitted in silent mode. This setting is typically enabled by default, but it’s possible it was accidentally disabled.

To adjust silent mode settings: 

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 
  2. Tap on Sound & Haptics
  3. Scroll down to Ring/Silent Mode Switch
  4. Enable the Play Haptics in Silent Mode option.
Haptics in Silent Mode

Related: How to Fix No Text or Notification Alerts Sounds on iPhone


5. Check ‘Vibration’ Pattern Options

It’s worth checking if your vibration pattern is accidentally set to ‘None’. This setting is nestled within the sound and haptic patterns and can be easily overlooked.

To adjust it:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Navigate to Sounds & Haptics.
  3. Select Ringtone, then tap on Haptics.
  4. Choose a vibration pattern like Synchronized or any preferred option, but avoid selecting None.
System Haptics

Apply the same steps to adjust vibration settings for Text Tone, New Voicemail, New Mail, and other notifications requiring vibration alerts.

Related: How to Fix Vibration Not Working on iPhone

Related: How to Fix iPhone Vibrating Randomly


6. Update Your iPhone

Software issues can sometimes prevent your iPhone from vibrating in silent mode. Updating to the latest iOS version can resolve these issues, providing the newest fixes and security updates.

To update your iPhone: 

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Go to General > Software Update.
  3. If there’s an update available, tap Download and Install.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
iphone not vibrating in silent

Important Notes

  • The update process may restart your iPhone several times.
  • Ensure your iPhone has at least 50% charge, or keep it connected to a charger during the update.
  • Major updates (e.g., from iOS 15 to iOS 16) could take about 15 minutes.

To set up automatic updates: 

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Navigate to General > Software Update > Automatic Updates
  3. Turn on Download iOS Updates and Install iOS Updates.
iphone not vibrating in silent

Related: Unable to Check for Update Error on iPhone? Here’s the Fix!


7. Reset iPhone Settings

If the previous solutions haven’t resolved the issue, consider resetting your iPhone’s settings. This step can help eliminate any configuration conflicts that might be hindering vibration for notifications and alerts.

To reset your iPhone’s settings: 

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 
  2. Go to General > Transfer or Reset iPhone
  3. Tap on Reset
  4. Select Reset All Settings and follow the prompts. 
iphone not vibrating in silent

Important Notes

  • Your iPhone will immediately restart upon resetting your configurations. 
  • It may be stuck in the Apple logo. Wait for the process to complete, which usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.

Related: Difference Between Restart and Force Restart on iPhone


FAQs

How do I get my iPhone to vibrate in silent mode?

To enable vibration in silent mode on your iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings on your iPhone. 
  2. Tap on Sound & Haptics
  3. Scroll down to Ring/Silent Mode Switch
  4. Enable the Play Haptics in Silent Mode option.

Does the iPhone have silent mode without vibration?

Yes. To disable haptics in silent mode:

  1. Access the Settings app
  2. Navigate to Sound & Haptics
  3. Look for Play Haptics in Silent Mode and disable it. 

Does iOS 17 have vibrate?

Yes. Haptics and vibration are key features in iOS and iPhones. From the iPhone 6S onwards, all models are equipped with Taptic Engines, providing top-notch haptic feedback and vibrations.

How do I change the vibration on my iPhone running iOS 17?

To customize your iPhone’s vibration pattern:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone. 
  2. Go to Sound & Haptics
  3. Tap on Ringtone
  4. Next, go to Vibration
  5. Select the vibration pattern you want. 

You can also adjust vibration settings for emails, voicemails, texts, and other notifications.

If this guide helped you, please share it. 

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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