This guide provides a comprehensive overview on how to mute various functions on an iPhone, including the ringer, alarms, music, and calls, applicable across different iPhone models.
To silence the ringer and notifications on your iPhone, you can toggle the side control. For iPhone 15, 16, and 17 families and later, press the Action Button on the left side. Ensure it is set to Silent Mode; you can verify this by opening Settings, tapping Action Button, and then selecting Silent Mode. For other iPhone models, flip the Mute switch on the left side; a red indicator behind the switch confirms the device is silenced.
Alarms on your iPhone can be toggled off within the Clock app. Navigate to the Alarms tab and toggle the alarm off. Note that Silent Mode does not affect alarm volume. While you can lower the alarm volume using the Volume buttons, it’s not possible to mute it completely.
When playing music or video, you can mute the sound by pressing the Volume Down button until it reaches zero or by using the in-app volume slider.
During a phone call, you can mute your microphone by moving the iPhone away from your head to keep the screen on, then tapping the on-screen Mute button, represented by a microphone with a slash. You can still hear the other party while muted. Pressing and holding the Mute button places the call on hold, allowing you to browse or add another participant if supported by your network. Tap the Mute button again to unmute or resume the call.
To enable Do Not Disturb, swipe down from the upper-right corner to open Control Center, tap Focus (moon icon), and then tap Do Not Disturb at the top of the screen. This feature silences notifications and phone calls while allowing alarms to sound. You can schedule Do Not Disturb for a specific duration or based on your location. For quicker access, you can add the Do Not Disturb toggle to your Control Center via Settings → Control Center → Customize Controls.
Silencing your iPhone helps you stay focused and avoid unexpected interruptions during meetings, classes, or sleep. Mastering the side switch, Action Button, and Do Not Disturb feature allows you to tailor your device’s behavior to different situations. Muting your microphone during calls protects your privacy and prevents background noise from being heard. Managing alarm volume separately ensures you never miss important alerts while keeping other sounds muted.
