A malfunctioning mute switch can be very annoying, especially when you want your iPhone to silence incoming notifications in a meeting, in a classroom, or at the dinner table.
How to iPhone Mute Switch Acting Up?
The alert slider or mute switch has been around for quite some time. Introduced on the original iPhone in 2007, it is part of the latest iPhone 15 series, except for the iPhone 15 Pro models that come with an action button.
Like any other mechanical component, the mute switch may stop working over time. You may notice that the switch is not working properly if you do not activate the silent mode in the down position.
This could be due to general wear and tear, ingress of dust or other tiny particles, or the impact of a steep drop, which could damage the internal circuitry. On the contrary, a minor iOS bug could also hinder the proper functioning of the slider.
Therefore, whenever you encounter such an issue, start by restarting your iPhone.
Once your phone restarts, check if the mute switch is working fine. If the slider is covered in dirt, consider cleaning it with a microfiber cloth and earbuds.
However, if these methods do not help you, we have two solutions to help you silence incoming notifications. These include setting up AssistiveTouch and Back Tap gestures on your iPhone.
Enable Assistive Touch to create a virtual mute button
The first method involves setting up a virtual mute button using Assistive Touch, an accessibility feature that helps you perform multiple tasks with the press of a button.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and select “Accessibility.”
- Under “Physical and motor”, select “Touch”.
- Tap AssistiveTouch and enable it using the switch on the right.
- Press the AssistiveTouch button (white circular icon that appears after enabling the feature), select “Device” from the following menu, and choose “Mute” from the available options.
- If you want to customize the AssistiveTouch menu specifically to silence your phone, go to “Customize top-level menu,” select an action, and replace it with “Silent.” This eliminates the need to go through multiple menus before you can finally silence incoming notifications.
If you switch between ring modes multiple times a day, consider programming the AssistiveTouch button using Custom Actions.
- Under “Custom Actions,” select the appropriate gesture from Single Press, Double Press, or Long Press.
- On the next screen, select “Mute” and you’re done.
- If you don’t need the entire AssistiveTouch menu, set Single-Tap to “Mute.” This will turn the icon into a dedicated mute/unmute button.
- Otherwise, choose between the other two options.
As an additional tip, consider reducing the AssistiveTouch button’s idle opacity to a minimum so that it doesn’t obstruct your view.
Customize the Back Tap gesture to silence notifications
In addition to AssistiveTouch, Back Tap is another solution to set up a virtual mute button. For the uninitiated, Back Tap is an accessibility feature that allows users to tap the back of their iPhone to trigger a specific action, such as taking a screenshot, running a shortcut, opening the camera, etc.
Fortunately, iOS allows you to select the action associated with the two Back Tap gestures: Double-Tap and Triple-Tap.
- Head to the Settings app and open the “Accessibility” menu.
- Under “Physical and motor”, select “Touch”.
- At the bottom of the menu, press Back Tap.
- Now, choose between the two Back Tap gestures. We recommend using Triple-Tap.
- Select “Mute” from the next menu and you’re good to go.
- Now, with your index finger, tap the back of your iPhone three times. A small message box should appear at the top of the screen, indicating whether you have turned silent mode on or off.
You can also select Double Tap, but in our experience, this leads to a lot of accidental inputs. However, the Back Tap feature works even if you have a protective case on your iPhone. While the workarounds are not a permanent solution, they can help you until you fix the mute switch.
Be sure to check out our article on five useful accessibility features you might want to use on your iPhone.
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