How to fix an iPhone XS Max with no sound?

You are holding a flagship iPhone XS Max but there’s no sound. What would you do? The thing is, sound issues are usually attributed to hardware issues although there could be software or even network-related issues as well in some cases. Your iPhone can produce sound via speakers which include both stereo speakers and speakers within the earpiece which is how we hear when calling someone or receiving any calls, etc. There are several components involved and thus, issues with any of the component related to audio can trigger no sound with iPhone XS Max.

Note that the nature of the solution depends on the nature of the issue you are facing and can have contrasting methods to fix it. Here, I have consolidated a list of all the issues that could trigger no sound issues on iPhone XS Max in any capacity and prescribed methods to fix it using generic and advanced troubleshooting methods that you must try.

How to Fix an iPhone XS Max with no sound?

Note that before you can proceed to an Apple Genius bar or an Apple Care, try using any of the methods prescribed below to find if any of the methods work in your favor or not.

Method #1: Restart the iPhone XS Max

The first take that I can advise is to take a soft reset on your iPhone XS Max. This is because if you are unable to hear sound via the loudspeaker when receiving any calls or listening to music and so on or if the earpiece isn’t producing any sound whilst on-call or if there’s an issue with the Bluetooth device that you are paired up with and it has no sound problem, you can simply restart the phone. Even though you are using an advanced iPhone XS Max, at the end of the day, it is an electronic device and thus, it is susceptible to minor glitches, bugs, corrupted cache, etc. This is why I advise users to first perform a power cycle before deciding on whether using any other method or reporting the problem.
Step 01: Firstly, press Power/Side button and either of the Volume rockers to initiate the reboot procedure.
Step 02: A slider with the command ‘Slide to Power Off’ will appear on the screen that you must slide to the right to turn off the phone and wait for a few seconds.
Step 03: Press the Side/Power button for a few seconds until the Apple logo appears on-screen and the phone is powered ON.

Method #2: Check if the phone is on silent or not

Isn’t this the most obvious answer to why your phone is not making any sound? Since iPhones can have varied audio profiles such as ringer, ringtone volume, and alarm volume, if it is possible that you mistakenly lowered any of the profiles causing the phone to go mute either when you receive a call or when you play something on your device when the alarm goes off. To verify it, check whether all the audio profiles are enabled. Also, check if the phone is in normal or silent mode and move to the next method if that’s not the case. Note that it is also referred to as Ringer and Alerts Settings you can access using this given procedure.

The simplest way to adjust media volume is to tap on the volume up button and drag it to its extremity.
Next, if that doesn’t help, go to the Settings app and tap on ‘Sounds & Haptics’.
Check out the Ringer and Alerts sliders on the screen and maximize it if the sliders were lowered somehow.

Method #3: Disable DND (if enabled)

Have you heard of Do Not Disturb (DND) service on iPhones? Well, if it is activated, the user is shunned from any messages, incoming calls, updates or any type of notifications until the user deactivates it. This eliminates the distraction one needs during concentration at work or study or somewhere else. You need to check if the DND mode is active or not if there’s no sound coming from your device when someone calls or pings you. H

To check if the DND service is active or not, go to the Settings app from the Home Screen.
Tap on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and check if the feature is highlighted or not.
If it is turned ON, simply toggle the switch to turn it off, and it is done.
You can also do the same simply by calling the Control Center and tapping on the DND icon, and it will toggle OFF just like that.

Method #4: Unpair Bluetooth accessory and toggle Bluetooth

Your iPhone XS Max is capable of connecting to a host of devices via Bluetooth and other mediums. If your phone is connected to a Bluetooth device such as a headphone, it will route the audio towards the external device rather than producing it via its loudspeakers. However, there is a chance that either you forgot to remove the connected Bluetooth device or the system is still treating the unpaired device as connected although you might not hear any output on that connected device. This could be a temporary issue and can be fixed simply by toggling the Bluetooth feature. If that doesn’t help, you can also forget the said Bluetooth device by removing it from the paired list and that must work in your favor for sure.

To remove any device from Bluetooth paired list, go to Settings >> Bluetooth.
Next is to tap on the “i” icon in front of the Bluetooth device you want to disconnect and forget and tap on ‘Forget this Device’.
Confirm the selection if prompted and that’s all.

Method #5: Reset all settings on your iPhone XS Max

Settings can be easily customized. It is possible that either due to automatic customization or due to a bug, changed settings can introduce a string of problems such as the no sound issue that we are discussing here. It is also probable that your iPhone XS Max automatically installed incorrect or corrupted settings. Anyways, here’s a way to reset all the settings on your iPhone XS Max that must work in your favor.

First of all, you need to navigate to the Home screen and open the Settings app.
Next is to navigate to the General section and tap on ‘Reset’.
Next step is to tap on ‘Reset all settings’, feed in your credentials and the method is done.

Method #6: Pull off a Master Reset

Nothing can escape the sight of a master reset. This particular method will reset your iPhone XS Max to its factory settings. This is done to curb any irritating complex system errors inducing the no sound issue on your phone and so on. You can find out the option to master reset the device simply by diving into the Settings >> General >> Reset and click on ‘Erase all content and settings’. The system could ask the user to enter a password for confirmation so proceed with the same and it is over. Note that you must take a backup before proceeding with this method.

Method #7: Seek Professional Help

If the problem is still intact, it’s time to try the professional’s help. You should give a call to Apple Support or take the phone to the telecom carrier (if locked) so that they can scrutinize the issue and find out what’s wrong. Most probably, the problem could be hardware-related that could burn a hole in your pocket if not covered under warranty. On the other hand, reporting the problem to a third-party service center will be a cheaper alternative although it will void the warranty of the device.