How do I turn off all sound effects?
To turn off sound effects, change three places: the system sounds of your device, notification and app sounds, and the sound effects slider inside each game. On Windows, set the sound scheme to "No Sounds"; on iPhone and Android, use silent mode and the Sounds settings; in a game, open Settings > Audio and lower SFX while keeping music or voice if you want them.
Windows
- Open Settings > System > Sound and choose More sound settings (on older versions, open the Sound control panel).
- Go to the Sounds tab, set Sound Scheme to No Sounds and click Apply. This removes Windows beeps and chimes for good.
- To mute notifications, open Settings > System > Notifications and turn off the sound for apps that keep pinging.
- To silence one app, open the Volume mixer and lower that app.
- If audio sounds odd because of reverb or "virtual surround," open your output device's properties and turn off audio enhancements.
iPhone
- Use the silent switch or Action button to silence ringtones and alerts.
- In Settings > Sounds & Haptics, turn off Keyboard Clicks and Lock Sound, and set alert tones to None if you want.
- To stop full-screen iMessage effects, go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and turn off Auto-Play Message Effects.
- Haptics are vibrations that accompany taps and alerts; you can turn them off in the same Sounds & Haptics menu.
Android
Open Settings > Sound & vibration (names vary by phone) and turn off touch sounds, dialpad tones, screen lock sound and charging sounds. Use Do Not Disturb to block all sounds at once, and turn off sounds for individual apps in Settings > Notifications.
In games and on consoles
Almost every game has separate sliders for master volume, music, voice and effects. Turn SFX down to zero to keep only music or dialogue. Consoles also let you mute system sounds or the controller speaker in the system's sound settings.
FAQ
How do I turn off the swoosh sound when sending a message on iPhone?
The send sound plays only when the ringer is on, so switching to silent mode stops it.
How do I block all sounds at once?
Mute your device with the volume key or use Do Not Disturb or Focus on phones; on a PC, mute the speaker icon in the taskbar.
How do I turn off the annoying notification sound?
Open notification settings for the specific app and set its sound to none instead of muting the whole device.
Will turning off system sounds mute my games?
No. System sound schemes only affect alerts; game audio is controlled by volume and the game's own settings.