Phone Vibration Not Working? How to Test and Fix It

Short answer

Most phones that “stop vibrating” are being told not to. On an iPhone, check Settings → Sounds & Haptics and turn on vibration for both ring and silent mode, then make sure Do Not Disturb or another Focus isn’t on. On Android, check the sound mode in quick settings, the Vibrate while ringing or ring vibration setting, and the vibration intensity sliders. Then restart and update. If none of that brings the buzz back and the maker’s hardware test also fails, the vibration motor (Apple calls it the Taptic Engine) is faulty or disconnected.

Start by finding out which case you have. Open our vibration test on the phone and tap a pattern.

Step 1: Test the motor

1. Open the vibration test in Chrome or Samsung Internet on Android, or Safari on iPhone.
2. Tap a pattern. On Android you should feel a long buzz. Chrome on Android can’t vibrate while the phone is on Mute, so switch the sound mode to Vibrate or Sound first, as the page explains.
3. On iPhone, Safari doesn’t let web pages play long vibrations, so the page plays a series of short Taptic Engine taps instead. They need System Haptics turned on.
4. Note what you feel: a clean buzz, a weak buzz, a rattle, or nothing.

A browser test can be blocked by the same settings that block call vibration, so “nothing” here doesn’t yet prove the motor is dead. That is why the brand hardware tests in Step 5 matter.

Step 2: Check the settings on iPhone

• Vibrate on Ring and Vibrate on Silent. Go to Settings → Sounds & Haptics (just “Sounds” on older iOS). An Apple Community Specialist notes that if both settings are off, the iPhone won’t vibrate. If they are already on, Asurion suggests turning them off, waiting a few seconds and turning them back on.
• System Haptics. On the same screen, make sure System Haptics is on. It controls the small taps for the keyboard and switches.
• Do Not Disturb and Focus. Open Control Center. If the crescent moon or another Focus icon is highlighted, tap it off. You can also check Settings → Focus.
• The accessibility switch. Settings → Accessibility → Touch has a Vibration switch. When it is off, the phone doesn’t vibrate, even with everything else turned on. It is easy to miss because it lives outside the sound settings.
• A single contact or app. If only one person’s calls or one app stays silent, open that contact and check its ringtone and vibration, or check the app’s notification settings. A vibration set to “None” for one contact looks like a fault.

Step 3: Check the settings on Android

• Sound mode. Pull down quick settings. If the phone is on Mute or Silent, it won’t vibrate. Switch to Vibrate or Sound.
• Vibrate while ringing (Samsung). Settings → Sounds and vibration. Guiding Tech says to turn on Vibrate while ringing, or turn it off and on again if it is already on. The same menu has separate switches for touch and keyboard vibration.
• Vibration intensity. On Samsung, Settings → Sounds and vibration → Vibration intensity has separate sliders for calls, notifications, touch and media. On a Pixel, Settings → Sound & vibration → Vibration & haptics has a Ring vibration slider. A slider at zero means no buzz.
• Per-app notifications. Settings → Apps → the app → Notifications, then tap the category name (for example, incoming messages) and turn on Vibrate. Chat apps like WhatsApp also have their own vibration options inside the app.
• Do Not Disturb, Bedtime and battery saver. Turn them off and test again. Modes like these can silence vibration as well as sound.

Pixel phones that don’t vibrate for calls

In 2026 some Pixel owners reported that incoming calls stopped vibrating even with vibrate mode on. Android Authority covered the reports in May 2026 and said Google had not confirmed a bug. Workarounds owners shared were:

1. Check Settings → Apps → Phone → Notifications → Incoming calls and make sure vibration is on.
2. In Settings → Sound & vibration → Vibration & haptics, slide Ring vibration down and back up.
3. Toggle Do Not Disturb and Bedtime mode off and on, and check the ringtone isn’t set to None.

These come from owners, not from Google. If they don’t help, contact Pixel support before you pay for a repair.

Step 4: Restart, update and rule out apps

1. Restart. A restart clears temporary glitches. On an iPhone 8 or later, a force restart (press and release Volume Up, then Volume Down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo) doesn’t delete data.
2. Update. Install the latest iOS or Android update, and update the app that won’t vibrate.
3. Safe mode (Android). Safe mode turns off downloaded apps without deleting anything. On Samsung, power off, then hold Power and Volume Down; release Power at the logo and keep holding Volume Down until the home screen loads. If vibration works in safe mode, an app or a theme you installed is the cause. Guiding Tech also suggests removing recently added Samsung themes.

Step 5: Run the maker’s hardware test

• Samsung. Guiding Tech lists the dialer codes *#7353# or *#0*#, then the Vibration option. The Samsung Members app also has an interactive vibration check under Get help. If the motor buzzes there, the problem is software.
• Other Android brands. Many have a diagnostics app or a support menu with a vibration test. Look up your exact model before dialing a service code, and don’t change settings you don’t understand.
• iPhone. There is no public hardware test menu. If the phone stays silent with every setting on, after a restart and an update, Apple or an authorized repair shop can run its diagnostics.

Step 6: Reset settings

A settings reset puts every setting back to default without deleting photos or apps. On Samsung: Settings → General management → Reset → Reset all settings. On iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset All Settings. You will need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords and pair Bluetooth devices again. A full factory reset erases the phone and rarely fixes a vibration fault that a settings reset didn’t, so back up first and leave it until a repair shop or the maker asks for it.

What your results mean

• Buzzes in the test, silent for calls: a ring, Focus or app setting. Steps 2 and 3 fix it.
• Works in safe mode only: a third-party app or theme.
• Weak buzz: check the intensity sliders first. A weak buzz with the sliders at maximum can mean a worn motor.
• Rattle or grinding noise: the motor may be loose after a drop. That is a hardware fault.
• Nothing, even in the maker’s hardware test: the motor is faulty or its connector has come loose.

When to repair or replace

If the hardware test fails, or the phone stays silent after every step above, the motor needs service. Look for dents or cracks near the edges and think about recent water exposure, because both point to damage inside. If the phone is under warranty, carrier protection or AppleCare, contact the maker or carrier before a third-party shop. If the vibration stopped right after a screen or battery repair, go back to that shop first: a connector that wasn’t reseated is a common cause. Get a written quote and compare it with the phone’s value using our phone value estimator. On an older phone with a worn battery or other faults, spending the money on a newer phone can make more sense.

In the UK, Canada and Australia the steps are the same; only warranty and consumer-rights rules differ, so ask the retailer first about a faulty newer phone.

Buying a used phone?

Check the vibration in person. Switch the phone to vibrate, call it from your own phone, and run the vibration test and the button test together, since the side switch or Action button often sets silent mode. A missing buzz is a cheap point to bargain with. Our used iPhone checklist covers the rest, and if calls also sound bad, see our guide on muffled or crackling speakers.