How to Fix Sound Not Working on iPad

Can’t figure out why sound is not working on your iPad?

The iPad has become a universal device for entertainment, productivity, and communication. 

Whether you are watching movies or making video calls, sound is an essential component of your iPad experience. 

So when you encounter sound problems on your iPad, it can disrupt your productivity. 

In this guide, we’re going to show you what to do if sound is not working on your iPad. 

Let’s jump right in!

1. Restart Your iPad. 

When you use your iPad for extended periods, its memory can get overloaded. 

When this happens, temporary data stored in the system memory can get corrupted. This can cause things like sounds to stop working properly. 

Restarting your iPad should give it a fresh start, clearing out stuck processes and data in the memory. 

Here’s how you can restart your iPad without a home button: 

1. Press and hold the Volume Down and Top buttons until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ screen appears. 
2. Now, tap on the Power icon and drag the slider to the right. 
3. Wait for 5 to 10 seconds to ensure your iPad is completely turned off. 
4. Hold the Top button until you see the Apple logo. 

Try playing music or watching videos on your iPad to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Check if Your iPad Is in Silent Mode.

When you enable silent mode on your iPad, it stops all sound from playing through the speakers. 

If you can’t hear alerts or notifications from your iPad, check if silent mode is active. 

For iPads without a ringer switch: 

• Go to Settings > Sounds. Drag the slider to set the volume for the ringer and alerts. 
• If you use Assistive Touch, open it and tap on Device > Unmute. 

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If your iPad has a ringer switch: 

• Toggle the Ringer Switch so the orange indicator is not showing. 
• If you use Assistive Touch, access it and tap Device > Unmute. 

Observe if your iPad will now play sound from notifications and alerts. 

3. Disable Mono Audio. 

If you are using a surround audio system, you may have noticed that some speakers are not working. 

This indicates that mono audio is enabled on your iPad. Mono audio combines stereo output, which can cause problems on 5.1 or 7.1 surround systems. 

Here’s how you can disable mono audio: 

1. Open Settings on your iPad. 
2. Go to Accessibility > Audio/Visual. 
3. Look for Mono Audio and tap the toggle switch to disable it. 

Try playing sound through your surround system to see if all speakers work. 

Related: How to Fix iPad Stuck in Headphones Mode

4. Disable Do Not Disturb. 

Do Not Disturb is a setting on your iPad that silences alerts, calls, and notifications. When this feature is enabled, your iPad won’t make any sounds when you receive messages. 

Follow the steps below to check if Do Not Disturb is enabled on your iPad: 

1. Launch Settings on your device. 
2. Tap on Focus and go to the Do Not Disturb tab. 
3. Find the Turn On Automatically option and disable it. 

Once done, see if your iPad will now play sound when you receive a notification. 

5. Check Your Volume. 

While this may sound very simple, some users tend to forget that they’ve turned down their iPad’s volume. This explains why sound is not working on their iPads. 

Before panicking, press the Volume Up button on your iPad to check if its volume is properly set. 

6. Disable Bluetooth. 

There are instances when your iPad encounters temporary errors and gets stuck in Bluetooth mode. 

When this happens, it will continue to send audio to your wireless audio device even if it’s not connected. To confirm if this is the case, try disabling Bluetooth on your iPad. 

Here’s what you need to do:

1. First, open Settings on your iPad. 
2. Access the Bluetooth tab. 
3. Tap on the toggle switch beside Bluetooth to disable it. 

Once done, try listening to music to check if the problem is solved. 

7. Restart Applications With No Sounds. 

If you encounter sound problems on your iPad when using specific applications, the issue could be with the app. 

To rule this out, close the application with no sounds and relaunch it. 

1. Swipe upwards from the bottom of your display until the app switcher appears. 
2. Look for the app that you want to close. 
3. Drag or flick it upwards until it is removed from the list. 

Go back to your home screen and relaunch the app. Check if sound is now working for the application. 

Related: How to Fix Videos Not Streaming on iPad

8. Update Your iPad. 

There might be a problem with the version of iPadOS you’re using that is related to sound or speakers. 

See if there are available updates for your iPad and install them to patch bugs and errors. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPad. 
2. Navigate to General > Software Update. 
3. If there’s an available update tap Download and Install. 

Try playing sound on your iPad afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

9. Reset iPad Settings. 

If sound is still not working on your iPad, we recommend resetting its settings. 

A third-party application might have messed up with your iPad’s configurations or you mistakenly changed some settings. 

Resetting your iPad’s settings should roll back any changes that caused the problem. 

Here’s how you can reset your settings: 

1. Go to Settings on your iPad. 
2. Now, tap on General. 
3. Access the Transfer or Reset iPad tab. 
4. Tap on Reset. 
5. Choose Reset All Settings and follow the prompts. 

Try listening to music afterward to check if you’ll hear sounds coming out of your iPad. 

10. Contact Apple. 

If none of the solutions above worked, your iPad could be suffering from a hardware issue. 

We recommend bringing your device to the nearest Apple Store to have it checked. Your iPad’s speakers may have failed or there’s something wrong with the audio controller. 

Before bringing in your iPad, check if it’s still covered by warranty so you know your options. 

If you have just purchased your iPad, you might still be able to ask for a replacement or refund if it’s less than 14 days since you received it. 

That ends our guide on what to do if sound is not working on your iPad. If you have questions, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to help. 

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