Alex Ruben
How To Disable Sound Notifications on the Facebook App
If you’re tired of the Facebook app blasting notifications, auto-playing videos, or other media sounds, you’re not alone. Sometimes, the sound settings within the app aren’t super obvious, and it can be a little frustrating trying to silence everything without muting your entire device. This guide aims to walk through the easiest, least complicated way to disable sounds directly in Facebook, making sure you can scroll, watch, or browse without that constant audio intrusion. Usually, it’s a quick fix, but sometimes it takes a bit of digging around, especially with app updates or device quirks.
How to Mute Sounds in Facebook on Your Smartphone
Make sure you’re in the right spot in the app
First off, open the Facebook app. Yep, just tap that icon. You’ll want to be logged in because the sound settings are tied to your account. On some setups, if you’re not logged in, the menus might look a bit different or missing some options.
Find the menu and access settings
Tap on the three horizontal lines or the Menu icon—usually at the top right or bottom right of your screen, depending on your device. Scroll down until you see Settings & Privacy, then tap on it. From there, look for Settings. Sometimes, the exact navigation can vary, especially if you’ve updated your app or are using a different OS, but it’s generally in that neighborhood.
Look for media or sound options
Once in Settings, you’ll want to find the section labeled Media or sometimes Media and Contacts. If you don’t see a dedicated media section right away, it’s often tucked inside Media or a similar category. On some Android versions, it might be called Videos and Photos, or you might see a toggle labeled Autoplay videos. Basically, this part controls if videos play with sound automatically.
Disable sounds or auto-play with sound
Look for an option that says Auto-Play. Tap on it and select Off if available. For muting notification sounds, check for toggles like Sounds in the app or Notification sounds. Turn these off. In some cases, there’s a specific toggle for Media playback sounds. Turning it off stops videos from making noise unexpectedly.
In newer versions, you might see a toggle that says Sound with options to enable or disable. On some setups, you can disable all app sounds entirely here. That’s often the most straightforward method.
Be aware, sometimes toggling the Mute within app settings doesn’t work immediately—sometimes a restart of the app or even the phone can help seal the deal. Because of course, Facebook has to make things a little more complicated than necessary.
Extra Tips & Troubleshooting
If the sounds still somehow leak through even after fiddling with Facebook’s settings, check your device’s overall notification sounds. On Android, go to Settings > Notifications > App Permissions > Facebook. Make sure the app doesn’t have permission to play sounds globally. You might also want to see if your phone’s main volume is muted or set to vibrate—some devices override app settings if the system volume is low or off.
And yes, updating the Facebook app to the latest version is a good idea. Sometimes bugs or interface changes mess with your settings, and updates fix that stuff. Also, on some devices, the app might ignore local settings unless you give it explicit permissions or disable media autoplay globally. Sometimes, just turning down the volume physically (using volume buttons) helps, but it’s less precise.
Once these tweaks are in place, you should be good to go — Facebook no longer making noise unless you want it to. That whole “distraction-free browsing” thing is pretty nice, especially if you like to scroll while doing other stuff or just want peace during your commute. Ensuring you’ve covered system and app settings can save a lot of headaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off sounds for only certain notifications?
Not really, at least not directly in Facebook. The app’s sound controls tend to be global. If you want more granular control, you might need to mute notifications manually in your device settings or use notification filters.
How do I turn the sounds back on if I change my mind?
Just revisit the same menu and toggle the relevant options back on. Usually, it’s as simple as flipping a switch—sometimes after a quick restart.
Will muting sounds stop videos from autoplaying with sound?
Not necessarily. Auto-play can still happen without sound unless you disable autoplay or the sound toggle in media settings. On some devices or app versions, you can set videos to autoplay silently or only with audio if you prefer. Play around with Autoplay options for best results.