Facebook includes several sound settings that control different types of audio. You can disable in-app sounds, silence notification alerts, turn off the sound that plays while scrolling, or prevent videos from starting with audio. The exact options depend on your device, app version, and Facebook settings.
In this step-by-step guide, we will explain how to turn off sounds on Facebook using Android, iPhone, and desktop devices. We will also cover how to silence Facebook notifications, stop videos from playing with sound, troubleshoot common problems, and restore sounds whenever you want.
What Are Facebook Sounds?
Facebook sounds are audio effects that play while you use the platform. They can include notification alerts, interface sounds, video audio, and sounds associated with messages or other interactions.
However, Facebook does not use one universal setting for every type of sound. Turning off one category may not silence the others.
For example, disabling in-app sounds may stop certain interface effects while videos can continue playing audio. Likewise, muting your phone does not necessarily change Facebook’s individual sound preferences.
Types of sounds on Facebook
Here are the main types you may want to disable:
- In-app sounds: Short audio effects that play while interacting with Facebook.
- Notification sounds: Alerts for activity such as comments, reactions, and other notifications.
- Video sounds: Audio from videos in your News Feed.
- Reels sounds: Music, dialogue, and other audio in short-form videos.
- Messenger sounds: Alerts for incoming messages and conversations.
- Live video sounds: Audio from live broadcasts when you watch them.
Understanding these categories helps you choose the right setting without accidentally disabling sounds you still want to hear.
Why Should You Turn Off Sounds on Facebook?
There are several reasons to silence Facebook.
1. Avoid distractions
Unexpected sounds can interrupt your work, studies, or conversations. Turning off unnecessary audio helps you focus on what matters.
2. Browse Facebook quietly
If you use Facebook in a library, office, classroom, or public place, disabling sounds can help you avoid disturbing people nearby.
3. Prevent embarrassing moments
Imagine opening Facebook during a meeting and suddenly hearing a loud video. Disabling autoplay sound or in-app effects can help prevent these situations.
4. Save battery and reduce interruptions
Managing background activity and notifications may help reduce unnecessary interruptions. Battery savings from changing sound settings alone are usually limited, however.
5. Enjoy a more personalized experience
Some users prefer a completely silent News Feed, while others want videos to remain audible but notifications to stay quiet. Facebook’s separate controls make it easier to choose what works for you.
How to Turn Off Sounds on Facebook Using Android
If you use an Android phone, you can usually disable Facebook’s in-app sounds through the app settings.
Step-by-step instructions for Android
- Open the Facebook app on your Android phone.
- Tap the menu icon, usually represented by your profile picture or three horizontal lines.
- Tap Settings & privacy.
- Select Settings.
- Look for the Preferences section and open Media, if available.
- Find the option labeled Sounds in the app, In-app sound, or similar.
- Turn the setting off.
The precise wording and location can vary by Facebook app version.
What if you cannot find the sound setting?
Try these alternatives:
- Update Facebook through the Google Play Store.
- Reopen the app and check Settings & privacy again.
- Search the available settings for terms such as “sound” or “media,” if your version provides a settings search.
- If you want to silence alerts rather than interface effects, open Facebook’s notification settings or your Android system notification settings.
Tip: Turning off in-app sounds does not necessarily mute videos, Reels, or Messenger notifications.
How to Turn Off Sounds on Facebook Using iPhone
iPhone users can also manage Facebook audio through the app’s settings. If a particular control is missing, you can use iOS settings to silence notifications or lower the device volume.
Step-by-step instructions for iPhone
- Open the Facebook app.
- Tap the menu icon or your profile picture.
- Open Settings & privacy.
- Tap Settings.
- Find Media or another relevant preferences section.
- Look for the in-app sound option.
- Switch it off if it is available.
Return to your News Feed and interact with the app to check whether the unwanted interface sounds have stopped.
Can you use the iPhone Silent Mode?
Yes, Silent Mode can silence many notification alerts, depending on your settings. However, it does not guarantee that all media audio will stop.
If a video continues playing sound, lower the volume using the iPhone’s volume buttons or mute the video through its on-screen controls.
If your goal is to stop Facebook notification alerts, you can also open the iPhone’s Settings, select Notifications, choose Facebook, and adjust the notification options available there.
How to Turn Off Sounds on Facebook on a Computer
Facebook’s desktop website may offer fewer dedicated sound controls than the mobile app. You can still silence unwanted audio using Facebook’s available options and your computer’s sound settings.
Step-by-step instructions for desktop
- Open a browser and visit https://www.facebook.com/.
- Sign in to your account.
- Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
- Open Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- Review the available notification and media settings.
- Disable any relevant sound option displayed in your account.
Not every desktop version includes a dedicated setting for all interface sounds.
How to mute Facebook through your computer
If Facebook continues producing unwanted audio, you can mute the browser tab.
In Google Chrome:
- Open Facebook in a browser tab.
- Right-click the tab.
- Select Mute site if that option is available.
This can silence audio from the Facebook website in that tab. Keep in mind that it may also silence videos and other audio you want to hear.
You can usually reverse the setting by right-clicking the tab again and selecting the corresponding unmute option.
How to Turn Off Facebook Notification Sounds
Sometimes the problem is not the News Feed but repeated alerts for comments, reactions, birthdays, or other activity.
In that case, you should adjust notification settings rather than video or in-app sound settings.
Turn off Facebook notification sounds in the app
- Open Facebook.
- Go to Settings & privacy.
- Tap Settings.
- Find Notifications.
- Review the notification categories.
- Disable unnecessary alerts or adjust their delivery methods where available.
The available controls depend on the type of notification and your version of Facebook.
Turn off Facebook notification sounds on Android
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Select Apps or Apps & notifications.
- Find and open Facebook.
- Tap Notifications.
- Select the relevant notification category, if your device supports categories.
- Change its sound to None or select a silent notification option, where available.
This approach can silence alerts at the Android system level without necessarily changing Facebook’s internal media settings.
Turn off Facebook notification sounds on iPhone
- Open the iPhone’s Settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Select Facebook.
- Adjust the available notification options.
Depending on your iOS version, you may be able to disable notification delivery or change how alerts appear. iOS does not provide the same per-app custom notification-sound controls for every app.
How to Stop Facebook Videos From Playing With Sound
Do you want to browse videos without hearing audio automatically? Facebook may provide a setting for videos in the Media section, depending on your app version.
Steps to disable video sound autoplay
- Open Facebook.
- Go to Settings & privacy and select Settings.
- Look for Media under Preferences.
- Check for a setting related to videos starting with sound.
- Turn it off if available.
The option may be labeled differently, and it may not appear in every version.
How to mute a video manually
If the setting is unavailable, you can mute an individual video using its on-screen speaker icon, when provided. You can also lower your device volume.
Remember that disabling autoplay sound is different from disabling autoplay itself. A video may still begin playing silently.
How to Turn Off Facebook Reels Sounds
Facebook Reels often include music, spoken dialogue, or other audio. If you want to watch Reels silently, use the available video controls.
Steps to mute a Reel
- Open Facebook.
- Navigate to the Reels section.
- Start playing a Reel.
- Look for a speaker or volume control on the video.
- Tap it if available to mute the audio.
If no mute button appears, use your phone’s volume buttons or your computer’s volume controls.
Some versions of Facebook remember certain media preferences, while others may require you to mute audio again when opening new content.
How to Disable Messenger Sounds
Messenger notifications are managed separately from many Facebook in-app sounds.
If you want to stop hearing message alerts, you can mute a specific conversation or adjust Messenger’s notification settings.
Mute a Messenger conversation
- Open Messenger.
- Find the conversation you want to silence.
- Tap the person’s name or open the conversation information panel.
- Select Mute notifications or the equivalent option.
- Choose the duration, if prompted.
This generally silences notifications without stopping messages from arriving.
Turn off Messenger notification sounds
Open Messenger’s settings and look for notification and sound controls. Depending on your device and app version, you may also be able to manage these alerts through Android or iOS system settings.
Be sure to distinguish muting a single conversation from disabling notifications for the entire app.
Facebook Sound Settings: Quick Comparison
| What you want to silence | Setting to check |
|---|---|
| Interface clicking or interaction sounds | Facebook in-app sound settings |
| Notification alerts | Facebook or device notification settings |
| Video autoplay audio | Facebook Media settings |
| Individual video or Reel | On-screen audio controls |
| Messenger conversation alerts | Mute notifications for that conversation |
| All audio from Facebook in a desktop browser | Browser tab mute |
| Most phone alerts | Device Silent Mode or notification settings |
How to Fix Facebook Sound Problems
If Facebook continues making sounds after you change a setting, try these troubleshooting steps.
1. Restart the Facebook app
Close the app completely and open it again. This can help when a setting has not taken effect immediately.
2. Update Facebook
Open your device’s app store and check whether an update is available. Older versions may have different settings or bugs.
3. Check your phone’s volume
Your media volume and notification volume may be controlled separately. Lowering one does not always silence the other.
4. Review individual settings
Confirm that you changed the setting corresponding to the sound you want to stop. Disabling interface sounds will not necessarily silence videos or Messenger alerts.
5. Restart your device
A restart can resolve temporary audio or app issues.
6. Check browser settings
If you use Facebook on a computer, make sure you have not confused the browser tab’s mute setting with your computer’s overall audio controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I turn off sounds on Facebook completely?
Disable in-app sounds, manage notification alerts, and mute video audio separately. There may not be one universal Facebook setting that disables every type of sound.
2. Why does Facebook still make sounds after I turn them off?
You may have disabled only interface sounds while videos, notifications, or Messenger remain audible. Check each category separately.
3. Can I turn off Facebook sounds without muting my phone?
Yes. You can use Facebook’s in-app sound settings and adjust individual notification settings where available. Some sound types may still require device-level controls.
4. How do I stop Facebook videos from playing sound automatically?
Open Facebook’s Media settings and look for a video sound or autoplay sound option. If it is unavailable, mute videos manually using their on-screen controls or your device volume.
5. Can I turn Facebook sounds back on later?
Yes. Return to the relevant sound or notification settings and re-enable the options you previously disabled.
Conclusion
Learning how to turn off sounds on Facebook is an easy way to create a quieter, less distracting browsing experience. The most important step is identifying which audio you want to disable.
For interface sounds, check Facebook’s in-app settings. For alerts, review notification controls. For videos and Reels, use media settings or the available audio controls. For Messenger, mute individual conversations or adjust its notification settings.
If an option is missing, remember that Facebook’s interface changes over time, so the exact menu names may differ between devices and app versions.
Summary: Key Takeaways
- Turn off in-app sounds through Facebook’s settings when the option is available.
- Adjust notification settings to silence unwanted alerts.
- Check Media settings for video autoplay sound controls.
- Mute Reels and videos individually if necessary.
- Manage Messenger sounds separately from Facebook interface sounds.
- Use Android, iPhone, or browser sound controls when Facebook does not provide the setting you need.
With these adjustments, you can enjoy Facebook on your own terms—quietly when you need peace and with sound when you actually want it.