Quick Answer
You can turn off the conversation tones on your iPhone by going to Settings > Sounds (or Sounds & Haptics) and toggling off the “Play Tones on Silent” option. This will disable the ascending and descending tones that play when receiving and ending calls in Silent mode.
Steps to Turn Off Conversation Tones on iPhone
Here are the detailed steps to turn off conversation tones on your iPhone:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Sounds” or “Sounds & Haptics”. This takes you to the Sounds (or Sounds & Haptics) settings page.
3. Under the Ringer and Alerts section, toggle off the switch for “Play Tones on Silent”.
4. If the switch is grayed out, first toggle off Silent Mode by flipping the switch on the left side of your iPhone.
5. Now toggle off “Play Tones on Silent” and toggle Silent Mode back on if you want.
6. Exit Settings. The conversation tones are now turned off.
What are Conversation Tones?
Conversation tones, also known as call tones, are the ascending and descending beeps that play when receiving and ending a call on iPhone.
Here is what each tone signifies:
– Ascending tone: This tone plays when you receive an incoming call on your iPhone when it’s set to silent/vibrate. It starts low and steadily rises in frequency to notify you.
– Descending tone: This tone plays when you end a call on your silenced iPhone. It starts high and steadily drops to indicate the call has ended.
These tones are helpful for alerting you to incoming and ended calls if your ringer is silenced. But some users may find the tones annoying or disruptive in silent settings.
Why Would You Want to Disable Conversation Tones?
Here are some common reasons you may want to turn off the conversation tones on your iPhone:
– You find the ascending/descending tones annoying or disruptive when trying to stay silent.
– The tones are going off unexpectedly in silent mode and confusing you.
– You want a completely silent experience with no audible alerts for calls.
– You are using your iPhone in a setting like a theater or classroom where tones would be distracting.
– You simply don’t need the audible notification and know to check for missed calls.
– You want to use vibration only for call alerts in silent mode.
So in summary, while the conversation tones are useful for some, others may prefer turning them off for various reasons. The steps above let you easily disable the tones on your iPhone.
Customizing Other Notification Sounds
In addition to conversation tones, you can customize other notification sounds on your iPhone:
– **Ringer volume**: Adjust the ringer volume from loud to silent using the volume buttons on the left side of your iPhone.
– **Text tones**: Choose a custom text tone sound by going to Settings > Sounds (or Sounds & Haptics) > Text Tone.
– **Email alerts**: Pick an email alert sound by going to Settings > Notifications > Mail > Sounds.
– **Calendar alerts**: Select a calendar alert tone under Settings > Calendar > Default Alert Tone.
– **Locking sounds**: Toggle these on/off under Settings > Sounds (or Sounds & Haptics).
So explore these sections to customize your preferred notification sounds for different apps and features.
Using Silent Mode or Do Not Disturb
Two handy ways to quickly silence your iPhone are using Silent Mode and Do Not Disturb:
**Silent Mode**
– Toggles the ring/alert switch on the side of the iPhone.
– Mutes all sounds except media and alarms.
– Conversation tones will play unless disabled.
**Do Not Disturb**
– Enable it in Settings > Do Not Disturb or by swiping down from top right of screen on iOS 15 or later.
– Silences all calls, alerts and notifications.
– Exceptions can be allowed for favorites, repeat callers, etc.
– Blocks all conversation tones.
So both are useful depending on if you want to allow exceptions (Do Not Disturb) or have a quick total silent switch (Silent Mode).
Using Sounds While on Calls
An important note is that turning off conversation tones only disables the tones that play when starting and ending calls in silent mode.
It does not affect any sounds or speaker usage while you are on a call. Here are some examples:
– You can still hear the other person and use the speakerphone when on a call.
– Keypad tones still play when pressing the dial pad while on a call.
– Call waiting tones and sounds still occur if you get another call.
So the conversation tone toggle solely impacts the specific ascending/descending tones at the start and end of a call in a silenced environment. It does not make your actual phone calls silent.
Troubleshooting Missing Conversation Tones
If you are expecting to hear conversation tones for calls in silent mode but they are not occurring, here are some troubleshooting tips:
– Check that Silent Mode is actually enabled by flipping the side switch on your iPhone.
– Make sure “Play Tones on Silent” is toggled ON in Settings > Sounds (or Sounds & Haptics).
– Check that you are running iOS 14 or later, as the tones may not work on earlier versions.
– Test making a call with a friend to confirm the tones are missing. It could just be that you haven’t received any recent calls.
– Restart your iPhone and test again, as a reboot can resolve sporadic software glitches.
– Try resetting all settings under Settings > General > Reset. This will revert sounds settings but retains your data.
– As a last resort, a hardware issue could be silencing the tones. Contact Apple Support for further troubleshooting.
So in summary, check your software settings first, test with actual calls, reboot your device, and contact Apple if still having issues hearing expected conversation tones when iPhone is in silent mode.
Conclusion
– Conversation tones play ascending/descending beeps when starting/ending calls in Silent mode on iPhone.
– These can be disabled in Settings > Sounds (or Sounds & Haptics) by toggling off “Play Tones on Silent”.
– Turning off conversation tones creates a fully silent calling experience when iPhone is muted.
– Other notification sounds can also be customized in Settings on your device.
– Troubleshoot missing tones by double checking Silent Mode, the “Play Tones” toggle, your iOS version, making test calls, rebooting, and contacting Apple Support if the issue persists.
I hope this clearly explains how to turn off conversation tones on your iPhone for a distraction-free silent experience! Let me know if you have any other questions.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Play Tones on Silent | Enables/disables conversation tones when iPhone is in Silent mode |
| Silent Mode | Mutes all sounds using the side switch on iPhone, except media and alarms |
| Do Not Disturb | Silences all calls, alerts and notifications with allowed exceptions |
| Ringer Volume | Controls the ringer and alert volume from loud to silent |
Summary of Key Settings for Customizing Notification Sounds
This table summarizes the main iPhone settings to customize various notification sounds and alerts:
| Setting | Customization Options |
|---|---|
| Sounds | Text tones, call tones, locking sounds |
| Notifications | Tones for mail, messages, social apps |
| Calendar | Default alert tone for events |
| Ringer and Alerts | Volumes for ringer, alerts, call sounds |
So by toggling settings in these sections, you can customize notification sounds and volumes for various iPhone alerts and apps as desired.
Troubleshooting Tips for Missing Conversation Tones
Here are some top troubleshooting tips if expected conversation tones are not occurring on your silenced iPhone:
| Troubleshooting Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Check Silent Mode is on | Flip the side switch on iPhone to enable Silent Mode |
| Verify “Play Tones on Silent” is toggled on | Settings > Sounds > Play Tones on Silent should be enabled |
| Test with actual phone calls | Conversation tones only occur when starting/ending calls |
| Restart your iPhone | Rebooting can resolve software and settings glitches |
| Reset all settings | Reverts sounds settings but keeps data – Settings > General > Reset |
| Contact Apple support | For hardware troubleshooting if issue persists |
Following these tips should help resolve most issues with missing or malfunctioning conversation tones on your iPhone.